#(no thoughts only dayton)

[fiercynn]

palestinian poets: hala alyan

poetry has been keeping me going the past week and i thought i'd share some of my favorite pieces by palestinian poets. i was originally going to repost my favorites but just realized that might not be appropriate, so instead i'm going to feature a poet in each post and share my favorite pieces by each.

HALA ALYAN

hala alyan is the author of the novel salt houses, winner of the dayton literary peace prize and the arab american book award, and a finalist for the chautauqua prize. her latest novel, the arsonists’ city, was a finalist for the 2022 aspen words literary prize. she is also the author of four award-winning collections of poetry, most recently the twenty-ninth year. her work has been published by the new yorker, the academy of american poets, lit hub, the new york times book review, and guernica. she lives in brooklyn, where she works as a clinical psychologist and professor at new york university.

IF YOU READ ONLY ONE PIECE BY HALA ALYAN, MAKE IT THIS ONE

OTHER POEMS I LOVE BY HALA ALYAN

“The Interviewer Wants to Know About Fashion” at lithub

"Interactive: House Saints" at the poetry foundation

"1999" (from her 2019 collection The Twenty-Ninth Year) at lithub

"When They Say Pledge Allegiance, I Say" at the adroit journal

[inknopewetrust]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭

Summary: Eddie Munson made it big. Now, when he returns to Hawkins for a hometown concert with his band, he is reminded of the girl he's been in love with for the past 6 years when Steve Harrington calls. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader WC: 13.6k Warnings: 18+; Minors DNI; smut; piv; language; rough sex; bathroom sex (unprotected–wrap it before you tap it babes); some dirty talk; this is a whole ass fic. This is porn WITH plot besties. Quick Links: Masterlist

“You’re a pervert, Eddie Munson,” You laughed, he smiled.

“Well, can you blame a guy? Look at you.” The way his eyes trailed. He was hunting and you were perfect prey.

“I can’t really… but you can.” Your bottom lip passed through your teeth quickly—barely grazing it as the top of your shoe ran along the inside of his leg. He was fucked.

There were more than five drunks inside of The Hideout.  

The last few years had brought out a different side of Hawkins, hell, Indiana to this little bar in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. It wasn't often that there were empty seats, that the bar wasn't overwhelmed with patrons, or that everyone inside hadn’t flocked to the dive for a taste of metal.  

Corroded Coffin had made it—in a… regional success type of way.  

Every year, the band returned to Hawkins after moving to the city to get more gigs. It acted as a reunion of sorts––bridging their past and present into a three-hour concert inside of a small bar where they had originated outside of Gareth’s garage. And much to their surprise when they had returned for the first time a few years before, the entire town had wanted in. For the first time they had felt accepted—but only because they had garnered some fame, not because they were cool, good people.  

And Eddie always felt that superficial fanaticism seep through the walls that separated the band from the crowd because the only people he believed truly cared for him and his music rarely came. Steve, Nancy, Robin, the gaggle of kids (they will always be kids to him) from Hellfire, and you. Separate ways had led to a hundred different paths and rarely, if ever, did he see one of them lead back to Hawkins.  

He had been completely and utterly enamored with you the moment he saw you stab a horrid, rabid bat straight through the eye. Eddie always wished it had been a more romantic story, but he had to admit it, you had never impressed him so much.  

And then you graduated. Went off to college and kept in scattered contact with everyone.  

But you never left his mind. As much as he wanted to move on from what he called a “silly crush” in retrospect, Eddie thought about you more often than he should have.  

And no girl could compare. He always pondered the ‘what if’ and he’d be lying if the songs that dealt with unrequited romance didn’t have anything to do with you. He was stuck. So incredibly stuck and didn’t know what to do. Eddie believed he would never get the chance to see you again.  

Until he got a call from Steve Harrington three days before he traveled back to Hawkins. 

It was out of the blue. Eddie wasn’t even sure how Steve had his number because he was always on the move—half the time he and his bandmates slept in their bus because it was one destination after the other. Nevertheless, Steve had managed to reach him and the conversation had been replaying in his mind non-stop.  

“Hey Eddie!”  

Jeff was standing at the pay phone outside of the Dayton club they had been playing in. Corroded Coffin had begun to make their way to Hawkins slowly over the past month and they were almost there. The set was half completed, and they were in the middle of their break when the pay phone rang as if they were in the middle of a horror film. They were all drenched in sweat and their limbs were killing them, the crowd was absolutely blustering. Their gigs had become what they had always dreamed—a metal rave of sorts.  

Eddie had been sitting on an overturned bucket smoking a cigarette when Jeff called out to him, hand over the transmitter as if his yell was going to change the mind of the caller.  

“What?” Eddie replied, letting out a puff of smoke that blurred Jeff for a second.  

“You gotta call! You’re gonna wanna take this one.”  

He made it sound as though the President was calling… not that Eddie would ever answer that call. So, Eddie got up off his bucket and let the cigarette dangle from his mouth as he shooed Jeff away from the phone. Holding the phone in one hand and lifting his other to lean against the glass, Eddie sighed and answered.  

“Yeah, this is Eddie.”  

“Ah! Guys I got him!” Was what he heard in return. There was a scramble on the other line and Eddie furrowed his brows, confused at the excitement. No one was ever calling him unless it was Wayne, a groupie he had made an empty promise to, or someone looking to book them.  

“Hello?” He asked more impatiently. 

“Yeah, yeah, hold on man!” He knew exactly who it was. It had been 6 years, not a lifetime.  

“Steve?”  

“Woah oh! Mega Rock Star remembers me? Woulda thought you’d forgotten about us in Hawkins.” He imagined Steve was a little drunk, smiling widely into the phone as the sounds of shuffling made its way through the receiver.  

“I don’t know if I’d classify us as ‘Mega Rock Stars’ but I’ll take it from you, Harrington.” Eddie grabbed the cigarette from his mouth.  

“So why you callin’ me?”  

“I heard your band is coming to Hawkins on Tuesday and we were wondering if we needed tickets or something to get in.” Steve sounded more distant, as if he was trying to get others on the call or at least let them have a chance to listen too.  

“We?”  

“Hi Eddie!” Robin’s voice was distinct, deep, and excitable through the static.  

“Eddie! You really made it!” That was Nancy. She was always a little more reserved than Robin, more than Steve, but still kind to him.  

Eddie moved the phone away from his mouth and chuckled. He couldn’t believe it, truly. He hadn’t expected to hear from anyone who he considered to be friends, who went through so much alongside of him, and helped him in a time of need but there, on the phone, were three people who had.  

“So you all wanna come? Is that what I’m getting from this?” He asked and all of them replied at once. Each along the lines of “yes” but scattered types of replies.  

“And if we could, I think a few others want to stop in too.”  

He hoped Steve knew what that made Eddie believe.  

“These others… they’re not just bottom feeders looking for a good time?” Eddie proposed instead. He felt a shot of nervousness surge inside of him. God, he felt like a teenager.  

“No, no…” Robin laughed into the phone, “they’re friends, Eddie. You’ll be glad to see them. Some are even traveling home for this so you better put on a good show.”  

Eddie knew Dustin and Lucas had gone out of state for college. He had sent them two records as presents and received a group call the next day in thanks. Eddie knew that’s who it had to be but Robin still said some. He was still holding out a little hope.  

“Hey Eddie! Come on! Time to go!” Jeff called out from beyond the pay phone. He was the last to walk back into the venue as the door opened to loud amps shaking the building.  

“Listen, guys,” Eddie said quickly, trying to use his final seconds wisely, “I’ll um, I’ll call the place after we leave tomorrow and get you on a list.”  

Eddie watched Jeff disappear through the door and knew his time was almost up.  

“I gotta go but just go to the bar and they’ll bring you in. I’ll put you at a table so you don’t get ambushed by anyone.” Considerate.  

“And drinks are on the house too.”  

“Fuck yeah!” Robin screeched and disconnected her line.  

“Sounds great, Eddie. We’ll see you on Tuesday.” Nancy said and disconnected herself too. Steve remained on the line.  

“Awesome, man,” Steve replied, surely nodding his head in approval. Eddie felt something lingering there but didn’t push. However, he did need the names.  

Eddie looked around him, trying to find someone who could help his pen-less situation but couldn’t find anyone. He patted down his jacket, the pockets of his jeans but nothing. And perhaps he waited too long, but Gareth came back out, looking at him exasperatedly.  

Eddie waved him over quickly. The dude always had a pen. He put the cigarette back in his mouth.  

“I’ll need the names, Steve,” Eddie said over the phone and shoved it between his ear and shoulder. Gareth ran over.  

“I need a pen. You got one?”  

Gareth summoned a pen from his pocket as though it were the one ring.  

“Names, Steve,” Eddie repeated, slightly muffled by the cigarette he tried not to lose.  

“All right, all right,” Steve fumbled. In his childhood home in Hawkins, Steve, Nancy, and Robin all stood around the phone counting the people in the party.  

“Me, Robin, Nancy, Henderson, Sinclair, Jonathan…” Steve trailed off and Eddie felt his heart sink.  

“That all?”  

“Um,” Steve was listening to the two women rattle off names, “Max, and Vicky… oh and Y/n.”  

“Y/n?”  

Eddie felt Steve was dangling a prize at the end of a fishing hook.  

“Yeah. She’s coming in from Indianapolis.”  

Indianapolis.  

“She work there?” Eddie couldn’t help but ask. Gareth gave him a look.  

“Yeah teaches now… English or… History or something.”  

“Oh,” Eddie answered and finished writing the names on the inside of his forearm. Gareth watched him write your name last, so clear, and careful. He knew now why Eddie was acting the way he was. “I didn’t know she moved.”  

“Yeah… somethin’ about wanting to be closer to the city or whatever… a part of me thinks she was trying to find you.” Steve laughed. Eddie didn’t.  

“What?” Eddie’s response had come out as a whisper of words and Steve hadn’t heard it.  

“So we’ll see you Tuesday, yeah? Go play your heart out, dude.”  

Then Steve hung up. 

And it was the phone call he had been waiting for hear after all these years.  

He played that Dayton show with so much excitement he made a girl faint in the front row… and it was all because of a stupid little phone call from a state away. 

The station wagon was packed full of a palpable energy no one could explain.  

It was strange; venturing off to a new adventure that wasn’t filled with danger together, but it was new, and above all else, nice. The memories that Nancy’s station wagon had held were far more interesting upon reflection than they had been at the time. And you listened to each story from the middle section, squashed beside the window between Steve, Dustin and Jonathan as Max and Lucas took the back and Vicky, Robin, and Nancy sat in the front.  

You couldn’t stop tapping your fingers against your knee.  

Robin was droning on about a Halloween party a few years back that you hadn’t gone to when you accidentally tapped Steve’s leg instead of your own. You shot a sorry look at him in a rapid response.  

“Sorry about that.”  

“It’s fine,” he reassured you, watching you look out the side window in return. You had been wearing a sparkly black dress––one Robin had swooned over in the kitchen with Vicky. 

From all the years he had known you, you were never a 'sparkly little black dress’ kind of girl to Steve. Except tonight you were. And he smiled at it. He turned his head forward and caught Robin and Nance’s eyes in the mirror because they were all on the same page.  

Eddie Munson had been infatuated with you for as long as they could remember and you, as personable and charismatic as you were, couldn’t pluck up the courage to accept the same about yourself.  

“Nervous or something?” Steve knocked your shoulder. You didn’t tear yours eyes away from the window.  

“No, I’m fine.”  

“You’re a little jittery.”  

“I pregamed.”  

“Where?”  

“With Robin.”  

“At my house?” Steve looked knowingly. You hadn’t touched a drop at his place.  

“Sure.”  

“Are you listening to me? What’s wrong?”  

You turned and looked at him, eyes a little spaced out from the present inside of the vehicle and saw not only Steve looking at you, but Dustin and Jonathan too. You knew the others were listening.  

“Nothing’s wrong.”  

Everything was wrong. Your stomach was in tumbles. You hadn’t seen Eddie in the flesh for 6 goddamn years and the last time you saw him all you wanted to do was jump his bones. So, how, in good conscious, could you look at the man again and think you wouldn’t feel the same.  

Surely he was still the same Eddie you had liked before… just a little older and a bit more sure of himself. The self-certainty was what you were afraid of, however. You didn’t know if you could get yours back.  

“If you’re going to lie to me I’d rather it be about something stupid.”  

“I’m not lying about anything,” you defended, eyes going stern, “I’m fine.”  

“She’s nervous about seeing Eddie.” Max spoke up from the back as she leaned her elbows in the small gap between Dustin and Jonathan. You narrowed your eyes directly at her, willing your mouth to open but no sound came out.  

“It’s okay, Y/n,” she reaffirmed your unvocalized feelings without hesitation, “things just got in the way last time.”  

“Yeah and I’m sure if he’s still the same old Eddie we know he’ll be head over heels for you,” Lucas supported her belief and you felt your head go hot. You couldn’t believe they were airing your dirty laundry in the car like this. 6 years passed and they still read you like their favorite children’s book.  

“How could he not? She’s still a fucking smoke show,” Robin laughed, to which Vicky agreed. Nancy tried to hold in her giggle but the eldest Wheeler smiled so widely you could see the lines from her eyes from your position in the car.  

“Listen,” Steve piped up again, “they come to Hawkins once a year… you don’t live here anymore, neither does he, and maybe, just maybe, there is a reason for everything to come home.  

“You sound like a horoscope, Steve.”  

“I was a matchmaker in my other life. I thought you knew that?” He narrowed his eyes teasingly, trying to make you feel less anxious about seeing him again.  

“If he is anything like he sounded on the phone, Eddie still holds a candle for you.”  

Steve hadn’t told you he talked to Eddie. This outing had been planned for weeks without so much of a word that anyone had still talked to him consistently—besides Dustin. Dustin certainly pestered Eddie over the phone about his Sophomore college problems. Eddie never knew how to properly reply to his concerns in turn.  

“You talked to him?” Dustin furrowed his brows at Steve as Robin turned around in her seat to listen, “when?”  

“A few days ago,” Steve was sheepish. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know he had extended his arm asking for a favor.  

“About what?” Dustin lamented.  

“Just about the concert, man,” Steve sighed, pointedly not looking at you.  

“And did he say anything of importance?” Robin pushed Steve as her hand knocked against his knee in a slap. He shifted uncomfortably. She had been on the call for 20 seconds, maximum, and didn’t hear what had been said once she hung up.  

“Well,” he started, “we talked for a bit and Nance and Robin were on the line too—“  

“For a second!” Robin interjected.  

“—and then he asked for the names.”  

“That’s all?”  

“That can’t be it,” Robin made a face, “you were still on the phone when we left the room.”  

“He asked about you, okay?” He gestured to you, closing his eyes in defeat. You stopped tapping your fingers and looked at him with serious eyes.  

“It isn’t!?” He folded his arms across his chest the best he could, “you listened to ABBA and Journey and all of a sudden in college you got real into metal and we all thought it was strange!”  

“I was expanding my interests!“  

“To get him!”  

“People experiment in college, Steve. In more ways than one.”  

“You’re telling me that you moved, changed interests, and then faltered back to the plan you had since you were five in the span of a few years? You went out there hoping to run into him because you didn’t know how else to approach him.”  

“You’re just being mean now,” you scoffed, turning your head back to the window. Robin and Steve glanced at one another before Dustin nudged him to do something.  

“Y/n,” he sighed, “we can argue about the past all we want but we are ten minutes from seeing him again and I don’t want to watch two of my friends, our friends, dance around their feelings again. For all of our sakes, just say something to him.”  

“Steve, just let it go,” you mumbled quietly and began chipping away at the nail polish you had applied hours before.  

They all felt a little defeated in that car.  

“Fine, fine,” he said and threw his hands up in exasperation as the others watched in a necessary pity. It wasn’t easy being open. It wasn’t easy being willing to show a vulnerable side of yourself that you’d been holding onto for years.  

“But if you do end up needing to pound one out together, there’s a great bathroom at The Hideout.”  

“Steve!” 

The Hideout and surrounding businesses were packed. Never, in all your years living in Hawkins, had seen it so busy and the thought that Eddie and his bandmates had brought this many people to a little bar made you happy.  

He had made it like he always wanted to.  

Steve had taken the lead once you had arrived and the bouncer at the door led the group of you to two booths just off the left side of the stage they had assembled for the band. It was already claustrophobic inside but the idea that you all had somewhere to go was comforting—quelled your nerves in the slightest.  

Jonathan and Steve had taken the liberty to gather drink orders and the group was split into two. The ‘kids’ in the booth closer to the front and the ‘adults’ in the one behind. It was easier to designate it that way even if everyone was an adult now. You sat squashed between Nancy and Robin, Vicky letting her eyes wander the room beside Robin.  

“You all right?” Nancy asked, her big eyes sincere, “Steve was kinda being a dick in the car.”  

“It’s fine, Nance. Really,” you played with the hem of your dress under the table. Suddenly, you threw up your hands and let your head fall into them on the table.  

“I don’t know why I’m so fucking nervous,” you exclaimed muffled in your hands, “it’s like my confidence jumped out of a goddamn plane.”  

“Being nervous isn’t a bad thing, babes,” Robin told you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. She looked at Nancy for support but she was lost on what to do. You had it down bad. “We all get nervous around people we like.”  

“That’s the problem, Robin,” you said, pulling your head out of your hands and looking her dead in the eye. “I think I’ve been in love with him since I was in high school.”  

Well, shit.  

“I’m sure he’s got roadies and girls willing to do anything for him and I’m nothing like them… I literally have a stack of papers to grade tomorrow even though I know I’m going to be hungover. He’s a-a rock star or at least on his way to becoming one.”  

“Bon Jovi’s wife was his high school sweetheart,” Nancy mentioned and Robin nodded her head. Sure, but that was a single case. A single case.  

“It’s just not the same as it was.”  

“Jesus, Y/n… could you be any more of a downer?” Steve returned with Jonathan in tow carrying a mix of beverages for everyone. “You need to get drunk because I cannot stand another second of you moping around like the world is ending. We’ve been there, we’ve made it out, and we’re going to have a good night and enjoy watching Eddie rock his fucking ass off like we knew he always would.”  

Steve sat beside Vicky and passed you your vodka cran.  

“And if you don’t want to get drunk, at least get some liquid courage to look the guy in the eye.”  

He lifted his glass once everyone had received theirs.  

“Henderson!”  

Dustin looked over the wall of the booth, making eye contact with you as if he was expecting something else but saw Steve’s raised glass and the others stood obnoxiously on their seats.  

“To old friends and finding the courage to get what we want.”  

“Cheers!”  

You downed the glass in one take. 

You stopped at 2.  

The drinks were strong and you still wanted to know what was going on by the end of the night and the moment the house lights went a little dim, the want to drink disappeared.  

When he walked onto that stage your heart nearly imploded in your chest.  

Everyone at the two tables squealed and cheered, their smiles contagious as they watched the crowd react to the band they had become. It was chaotic and full, filled with loud singers and louder instruments but everyone was having a good time. Drinks were flowing, the air was cloudy from smoke, and no one cared what anyone else was doing.  

You had never seen him so in his element. So confident in his abilities that you wonder where your own had went over the last few days. He played like his life depended on it, fully immersed in the music surrounding him.  

When he picked up that guitar and ripped the first chords, it was as though God had reached a hand into his soul and told him, play.  

It was intoxicating. Just the images seared into your mind as his fingers played deftly on the board and the way his smile could light up the room. He knew exactly where you all were and every now and again, he’d look over, intentionally, and you swore that every time he looked, there was more than just simple joy swimming in your direction.  

Slowly, you calmed. The anxiety began to wash a way as time went on and after an entire two hours of non-stop metal, there was a break. 30 minutes and the scene around you was still electric.  

Nancy finished her beer, snacking on some mixed bar nuts as she watched the water from the melted ice drip down your cup. No one checked back in on you, but they felt a shift in your air. It wasn’t tense or anxious, you had finally settled into the woman they knew—maybe with a little fear still lingering.  

“You wanna go with me to the bar? I want another,” she pointed to her beer as she leaned into you. You didn’t see why not, missing the glance she shared with Robin and Robin then shared with Steve.  

The trip to the bar was like walking through a maze. There were people everywhere and when there wasn’t a person, there was a table or a chair. You swore halfway there a piece of a girls hair touched your mouth because the pungent smell of hairspray was worse being consumed. And in all honesty, the bar wasn’t any better. It didn’t help that there were tall men trying to flag over the three bartenders or that some girl had half of her chest out to get free drinks.  

But who were you to judge? Everyone was just having a good time.  

“What do you want?” Nancy asked you as she grazed the taps just behind a few bodies blocking the physical bar top.  

“I-I don’t know, Nance, ah, um, I’ll just take whatever you’re having,” you replied, not really paying attention because of the people bumping into you from behind.  

Nancy, in her abundance of smartass behaviors, pushed her way to the front and after a second, a little gap opened up. She took the stool she could see and you stood next to her, your hands gripping the bar tightly.  

“You better now?” She asked with an eyebrow raised.  

“Jesus Christ…” you muttered, rolling your eyes.  

“You’ve seen him, you’ve sat there for two hours and everything’s fine. Just like we said.”  

“That doesn’t change how I feel on the inside.”  

“Well…” Nancy’s back perked up. You saw her eyes gleam, the smile on her face breaking across every feature, “Better boost your confidence, girlie. He’s coming this way.”  

Before you could question anything, you felt a hand on your lower back. You felt almost weightless. Like the room had paused and you’d remember that feeling of his hand on your back.  

“My eyes aren’t deceiving me, are they?” His voice was a little worn. The kind anyone would get if they spent too many nights singing along to songs or screaming into a crowd. “Nancy Wheeler and Y/n L/n here in the flesh.” He still hadn’t removed his hand.  

Nancy smiled wide, happy to see him again after so long. She hopped off of her chair, brushing beside you best she could to give him a hug. He removed his hand from you and hugged her tightly, giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek.  

You could see some of the other women in the bar. Their eyes lingering on him. They knew who he was; waiting for their turn to pounce.  

You felt the ugly bug of jealousy begin to grow.  

“Look at you!” Nancy leaned back, taking Eddie’s look in with all her excitement. “You did it!”  

“Not quite yet but I’ll take it,” he laughed, removing himself from her and she quickly realized she made a mistake getting up. Her seat was gone. Eddie looked at you.  

God. He had a smile plastered on his face. His cheeks were red, his hair sticking a bit onto his head from sweat, and he was wearing a worn Ozzy shirt under a new, perfectly tailored leather jacket. You wouldn’t have known that he was putting on a brave face. That his heart was hammering against his chest seeing you there.  

“It’s good to see you,” he started, his eyes wandering no differently than they had in any of your earlier encounters. He was quite shameless when it came to checking people out. “I wasn’t sure if Steve was telling the truth that you’d actually be here.”  

You tried to play it cool too, “and miss Gareth on the drums?” You smiled, unable to not match his own, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”  

And as if it were second nature, Eddie pulled you in for a hug too. Different than Nancy, he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and you around his torso. Your hands splayed across his back, feeling the distinct texture of leather underneath your finger tips.  

Instead of kissing your cheek, he kissed the side of your head. Right where your forehead ended and hair began. You didn’t see him close his eyes to savor it. He felt you squeeze the back of his jacket.  

Nancy felt like a third wheel. But a giddy one. 

“How long has it been?” He asked you specifically, barely pulling away. He still had his arms wrapped around you and you him. “Six years?”  

“Sounds about right,” you replied, gazing into his brown eyes that could swallow you whole. The creases along the edges—smile lines, per se—were more prominent but he was one who couldn’t help but smile when he was happy. He was amazed by so much.  

You felt his fingers graze the spot where your neck peaked out from the dress.  

“That’s a little too long.”  

“Yeah, well…” you couldn’t help but glance down at his lips, “we’ve all got different things goin’ on now.”  

He repeated what you had done with your own eyes. It made some of the fears begin to wash away.  

Nancy looked sheepishly at the ground, biting back a smile. She took a second to look around the room and saw Robin standing above everyone else from the booth’s seat. That sneaky shit. Robin began waving frantically, calling Nancy back to the table in a haste.  

“Oh!” Nancy said rather loudly, pulling you away from the bubble you hadn’t realized you were sucked into. You let go of Eddie, pulling away and leaning back into your spot at the bar.  

“I forgot to ask the others what they wanted!” She said almost as though she was reading a script unnaturally. You frowned knowing they all brushed you two off.  

“I don’t—“ you began but she was gone before you could get a sound out. She was playing matchmaker too. You sighed, shaking your head before turning back to Eddie. He was already looking.  

“So, are you getting something or looking for the rest of them?” You asked, “they’re all at the first two booths over there.” A finger pointing in the direction of the booths led you to see a pop of hair disappearing from above everyone else.  

“I was gettin’ a beer,” he responded with a nod but a man clapped him on the back before he could continue.  

“Great show, man!”  

And then another, “Fuckin’ rocks, dude!”  

Followed by others beginning to realize that the man standing beside you was one of the members of the band they had come to see.  

“Can you sign this?”  

“We saw you in Chicago last year. It was great!”  

“I managed to drag my girl to one of your shows and she’s loves you now! I don’t know how I can compete!”  

Eventually it had become one after another and you wondered if he got this reception everywhere. You turned back to the bar and waved over one of the bartenders, a female, and was happy she could get you something. She put down a napkin in front of you. 

“What can I get you?”  

“Two Blue Moons, tap please,” you ordered and she nodded, eyeing Eddie behind you as he graciously thanked each person and tried to break free of their incessant badgering. He only had 30 minutes.  

“You know him?” she asked, pulling a cup from the wooden slats and grabbing the hose. Her head tipped in his direction.  

“Yeah,” you cleared your throat, “old friends.”  

“You’re lucky,” she laughs and hands one of the beers over, “everyone wants to be friends with him.”  

You turned over your shoulder and saw a gaggle of girls hovering. Their faces were bright and flustered. One put her hand on Eddie’s arm, which he took back quickly. He wedged it between you and the patron sitting next to you, leaning onto the bar so they didn’t touch him.  

But his arm was touching you. He was barely leaning into you, but you noticed. Your body was on fire any time he was close.  

His fingers gripped the bar tightly as if he was trying to disappear through it. The rings on his hand were less familiar but you recognized the pig that glinted in the light.  

“So they do,” you looked back at her and she smiled, “how much?” For the beers. She shook her head.  

“On the house,” she pointed at Eddie.  

“Thanks,” was all you could say in reply.  

Both glasses in your hand, you turned back around and nudged his arm that was leaning on the bar. His head immediately turned to you—hair still frizzy and wildly falling around his face as you held one out to him. The girls behind him miffed from the lack of attention.  

“Here,” you motioned for him to take it with his free hand but he shook his head, face going a little sour. You furrowed your brows thinking it had something to do with the beer except he tipped his chin to the bar.  

“Put them on the bar,” he said sternly, feeling the grabby hands of those girls on the arm that was free. The space was so confined he knew it wouldn’t end well with a beer in his hand.  

“Eddie!” One of them called and you could see it in his eyes that it was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t want to pay any attention to them.  

Eddie was learning the boundaries of fans and signing things. Saying hello, taking a picture were fine but the moment they invaded his space, the moment they put people he cared for in any kind of danger, he drew the line. Something inside of him told him it was building to that.  

“Eddie! Can you take a picture with us?” They had their camera ready, a guy, maybe one of their boyfriends, was holding the camera for them.  

He looked at you apologetically. Who were you to prevent him from making a fan(s) happy?  

“It’s fine, go on,” you told him with a nod, hoping your eyes conveyed that.  

They wrapped their arms around him. They held on tightly while he barely touched them. When the flash went off and nearly blinded you from the back, more people noticed he was standing there and you felt the situation was just getting worse. You wanted to stay here with him but not at the expense of your comfort. If you went back to the booth now, no one would notice.  

Scattered thank you’s from the girls were audible over the light tunes from the stereo that broke through the talking amongst the room. Some guys followed their picture by shaking his hand.  

“Hey, listen man,” Eddie started when another came up to him, “I only have so much time so if you don’t mind…” He felt he got lucky when the man understood.  

But good barely lasts long.  

Eddie turned around, looking you dead in the eye and you could see the drain it had on him. People were badgering when it came to seeing someone remotely well known. They were a new band, growing every year. It would only get worse the more popular they became.  

He made his way back over to the bar a couple steps away. His one arm resumed its place beside you and the other reached around you from the other side. For a moment, he had caged you into the bar and the courage and confidence you had always had didn’t waver. Your heart was beating so fast.  

He pulled back just a little, returning his arm in front of him and you realized he grabbed his beer.  

But he smirked. He was teasing you.  

“Blue Moon, huh?” He asked, savoring the taste of it on his tongue, licking the top of his lip as he observed the cup.  

“Well if I knew it was on the house…” you told him as a joke. He smiled and it met his eyes, those lines defined on his face.  

“You can blame Steve for not telling you. I told him it was free.”  

You hummed, looking behind him as that same group of girls remained.  

“You have some… fans…” you weren’t sure you could call them that. Eddie dipped his head, you heard the defeated sigh and he shuffled his feet, tapping on the bar with his one hand. The unintentional shuffle brought him an inch closer. You could feel the edge of his jacket—the zipper dangling freely—meet your arm.  

“They’re groupies. Well, groupies without the love of music.”  

“Yeah I can tell,” you met one of their eyes briefly before looking away. You couldn’t meet his eyes after the stare that girl was giving you. It made your skin crawl. “Do they always do this?”  

“Some are less aggressive,” he took another drink of his beer. You had forgotten about your own. “But they’re all on the same spectrum I suppose.”  

One of them moved and you didn’t know if you could take being berated for nothing by a girl who just wanted to get in his pants. She hadn’t loved him for years, you did. You grasped the part of his jacket that had been closest to you. Instinctively, he leaned in closer, nearly cocooning you into the small space.  

“How much time do you have?” He glanced at the watch that was on the wrist of the hand with the beer.  

“10 minutes or so. Why?” He searched your face, never missing your lips as he shot his eyes around.  

“Because that girl, the one with the blonde hair and yellow headband is coming over here and gave me the goddamn death glare when I looked at her.”  

Eddie’s hair fell from his shoulder and hung beside him. You could feel the edges of it meet the side of your face.  

“You have a dressing room or something…? I don’t know what kind of things bars have,” you were holding onto him so tightly.  

“Yeah they gave us a room…” he put his beer on the bar and stood up straight. He held out his hand to you.  

Six years. Six years you had waited for him to hold out his hand to you in more than a friendly way. There was something about the air, the tension you felt when he looked at you that told you this was the moment you had been waiting for.  

“Come on,” he tipped his head toward the back of the venue. You grabbed his hand without a second thought.  

You made it halfway. His hand had covered yours, holding on tightly and occasionally swiping his thumb across your fingers in comfort. You could see some of the people looking. You pretended they weren’t whispering about you. All you were thinking about was the perfect way his hand encapsulated yours when you were jerked to the side and his grasp broke.  

“Wh—“ he didn’t take two steps to know you were gone and at once turned around to see that girl with the yellow headband was closer to him than you were. You were apologizing to a table of fans as one of their cups had tipped over, the liquid dripping onto the floor onto your shoes.  

“What the fuck?” He barely whispered as he watched the scene before him. Eddie walked back to you, trying to avoid the girl when she cut in front of his path.  

She gave a big, cheesy smile, “you gotta minute?” Her gum popped in her mouth.  

“Wh—no, no, I don’t have a minute…” he brushed her aside and went to you, assuring the table they hadn’t done anything wrong.  

“I’m sorry, God,” you were apologetic for something you didn’t have control over, “I didn’t mean to do that. Let me get you—“  

“It’s on the house, guys, just tell them I said so,” Eddie grabbed your hand and pulled you away from the table before they could wrap their heads around what happened.  

The girl was still standing there as you passed again and she tried to grab your arm. However, Eddie was more than prepared to defend you—the only person he’d be willing to make a scene for. He pulled you close, turning to point a finger accusingly at the blonde-haired woman with a sneer.  

“Don’t fucking touch her! If I see you near her again I will throw you out myself, got it?”  

The girl was speechless and so were you, for far different reasons nonetheless.  

“Got it!?” He yelled at her and the people chatting in the area around you quieted. You put one of your hands on his stomach as the other one was clutched in his own. Your palm spread; it was telling her he was already taken.  

“Come on, let’s go,” you urged him. And because he knew it was the right thing to do, he led you behind a brown wooden door and the bright, fluorescent lights of the hallway to the dressing rooms was never so greatly welcomed. 

Eddie didn’t know how one moment years in the making could change the course of his personal life.  

From the time he left Hawkins with Corroded Coffin to make it big, his mind was jumbled; lost in differing aspects from friends he had been leaving behind and a system of systemic poverty that had failed him. Somewhere inside of The Hideout Eddie felt his luck shifting. Maybe it was your hand in his being strung along the bright hallway, or maybe it was the fact he had grown into his confidence and could stick up for himself and you without fear of retaliation because he was no longer at the bottom of the food chain.  

It was a redemption of sorts.  

“Eddie, Eddie,” he heard his name being called but blood was pounding in his ears. He couldn’t believe the audacity of people when they didn’t have a relation or acquaintanceship with someone. You see people on TV or hear them on the radio and suddenly, it’s as if they’re not truly a person anymore. It was the downside, the absolute bottom of the barrel feeling, when it came to pursuing his dreams.  

“Hey, hey, Eddie, wait a second,” your voice was firmer, a light pull back on the grip he had on your hand, and he stopped. He had always been good at keeping others’ comfort at the top of his list and he wasn’t going to stop just because he was a bit angry.  

“Just wait,” you breathed, finally catching up to him and staying so close.  

“It’s fine, okay?” You were concerned. He could see it in your face. This isn’t how he planned to see you again. In fact, he had been so nervous he smoked two blunts instead of one before the show. He was surprised that it didn’t mellow him out more.  

“I’m fine, you’re fine. Just let it go.”  

“She had no right to touch you like that,” if your voice had been firm, his was unmoving. It was steadfast in leveled anger that boundaries were breeched and it could have gone a lot worse than it had.  

“She didn’t hurt me if that’s what you want to hear.”  

Eddie didn’t know what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that you were fine; he wanted to hear that you were happy; he wanted to hear that what he did was fucking hot and maybe, just maybe you would give him a chance if he took it. Eddie Munson wanted to hear the reason why you hadn’t reached out to him for six goddamn years while life continued to turn.  

He had so many question and he had been overthinking them for days.  

He ran a hand through his frizzy waves and held them intertwined above his head.  

“Steve told me you moved to Indy to find me.”  

If you were a ghost, now was the time to disappear.  

“Is that true?”  

You put your hands on your hips and looked anywhere but him.  

“Y/n, if it’s not true just say so and you can go back to them but if it’s not, tell me. Please.” You never thought Eddie would be one to beg. But here he was, standing in front of you, begging, for you to tell him.  

The dance between you two had been a long and winding road. Stolen glances, touches that lasted too long, and the palpable tension your friends felt was enough to shoot off fireworks between you. It was electric, sizzling, majestic. There wasn’t a day that you didn’t think about what he was doing, who he might be with—and it was no surprise that Eddie often wondered the same of you.  

“Is that why you asked about me on the phone? Because you thought I had followed you out there?”  

“No,” he shook his head, dropping his hands.  

“I asked because I wanted to know if you had a reason for never contacting me. I thought we were friends, at least friends who would keep in touch.”  

“I never knew what to say,” you admitted as your head dropped to glance at the floor. Beer was still shining up at you on your glossy shoes. “I feel like there was almost too much that no words would come out.”  

Eddie nodded—knowing well you had not answered his question. “Did you think I wouldn’t remember you or somethin’? I can tell you that would never happen.” He laughed at the thought.  

“That wasn’t it… I don’t really know how to explain it,” you knew exactly how to explain it.  

‘Eddie, I’ve been in love with you for years and I was afraid you had moved on to other women because they were your style.’  

‘Eddie, I would do anything for you but I’m scared of my feelings not being validated.’  

“Well, you’re here now,” he proposed with a rather hopeful look on his face, “you still smoke or is that too metal for you now?” 

“How could I? My dealer ran off to be a superstar.”  

“Well,  I’m here now and got a bag of weed in my case. What do you say to that?”  

“I say it’s not going to smoke itself.”  

The dressing room was small. Littered with equipment and travel bags. A dirty mirror hung on the furthest wall from the door and each member of the band was crammed inside. Eddie opened the door with a push as an unknown stickiness had caught the seal. Each guy looked up at the intruder.  

“Hey, we were looking for you,” Jeff said and reached for water on the table. “We go back on in five.”  

Eddie nodded mindlessly as he opened the door further to let you slip under his arm and into the room. The two that you had gone to high school with smiled widely––having known that Eddie was absolutely soaring on the inside. The band had found two other members you didn’t know after they had escaped the grasp of Hawkins’ hell and they sat chatting on a sofa.  

“You’re shitting me right now!” Gareth said, getting up from his stool and grabbing his glass that sat on the table beside Jeff. “I thought you said she wasn’t coming!”  

He had talked about you. Recently. 

“I said I wasn’t sure!” Eddie corrected him and led you to the corner where he stored his things. You hopped onto the vanity and felt like a spotlight was on you from the bulb of lights. “Besides, it’s none of your business anyway,” Eddie occupied himself searching through one of his cases for the weed.  

“We go on in five minutes, man. Did you not hear Jeff?”  

“I heard you, I heard you,” Eddie mumbled and grasped a tin with certain fingers. It was an old snuff can that had become so worn down that the branding was gone. Eddie opened the lid and pulled out one of the rolled joints he had stored inside. He lifted it to his lips before turning back to Gareth.  

He took a second, glancing over at you as you picked at your nail polish and walked over to Jeff and Gareth instead. The other two outside of the circle knew not to get in between the lifelong friends. You couldn’t hear their mumbles but Eddie was rather animated in his movements.  

“Listen, I just need like… a half hour. Give me a half hour and I’ll owe you big time. Just give me this.”  

The two wanted to argue. They wanted to be a band that didn’t have members who caused issues but they saw the look in Eddie’s eyes. They knew how much he liked you and with how much he talked about you, they couldn’t not give him the chance. The band came to Hawkins once every year and who knows if Eddie would get the chance again.  

Jeff checked his watch. They had to go.  

“Half hour. If you’re not out there I will come and get you, I don’t care what situation you’re in.”  

Eddie patted them both on the back.  

“Shane, Mickey,” Jeff called over to the other two, “let’s go. Eddie needs a minute.”  

And Eddie watched them leave the room with the blunt still hanging out of his mouth. When he turned back to you, the air changed too.  

You sat, cross legged and leaning on top of the vanity like a muse. Sparkly dress with shiny lips and glinting eyes, it was intoxicating. He grabbed the stool Jeff was sitting on and placed it in front of you—just close enough where his knees tapped your leg as he spread out; unashamed that he was man-spreading right where you slotted between him. He drew a lighter from his jacket and lit the blunt. With a puff he passed it to you.  

“They willingly accepted your disappearance?” You questioned, blowing smoke off to the side in the most glamorous way he had ever seen.  

“Only for a bargain. You know them… always looking for a steal…” he watched your lips purse around the stick—plump and inviting. “Besides, they had a good enough conscious to let this one slide.”  

“Why? Because it’s just silly ol’ me?” You fluttered your eyelashes, smiling at him with perfect poise before passing back the blunt. His fingers grazed yours.  

“It’s never just ‘silly ol’ you’” he repeated, “you fuckin’… light up the room when you walk in. So, no.”  

You tried to hide your smile, but it was hard when he was so blatant.  

“You know I was nervous about tonight,” you admitted sheepishly, “felt like you had forgotten about us now that you made a name for yourself.”  

“I told you that would never happen.”  

“Yeah, but the mind has a funny way of playing tricks on us like that.”  

“There could be a million people in a room, and I’d still find you right away, Y/n,” Eddie’s eyes were filled with something you couldn’t quite place. Kindness and sincerity aside, the man was not quiet about his wants or needs. You just hadn’t allowed yourself to accept them because you were scared about letting someone in. Someone that you liked a lot and someone you knew could make you happy.  

Happiness made people vulnerable. Vulnerable people got hurt.  

“So you did ask about me? Wanted to know what I was up to?” You inquired.  

“Did you move to the city for me?” He asked instead.  

“It was part of it, yeah.” It was the answer he wanted.  

“Why didn’t you call?”  

You laughed, taking the blunt back, and taking a minute to think of a comprehensive answer. “I didn’t call because I was scared of being one of them,” you pointed to the door and he understood that you were referencing those girls.  

“They hounded you like you were Bruce Springsteen…how was I supposed to compete with that or be something different?”  

If he hadn’t known for certain that you held a candle for him as he did you, he did now. He was relieved in a sense.  

“I think it’s funny,” he watched as you unfolded your legs, the dress hiking up in the slightest as you moved forward on the vanity. He also felt the choice to man-spread before you were beginning to be a mistake if anything went wrong. He wouldn’t be able to hide anything. “That you’d think you would be like them… you’re nothing like them.”  

“And what am I like?”  

Your confidence had returned. A flirtatious smile played at your lips when you swung your leg just enough to let the outline of your shoe rub against his pants. The blunt was still burning between your fingertips.  

Eddie knew it was now or never. So he let loose too.  

“What are you like?” He looked inquisitively at you. A finger tapping on his chin as if he was deep in thought for a moment. “I think the obvious is smart and pretty… but not school girl kind of pretty.”  

“No?”  

“No…” he shook his head, “the pretty that doesn’t think she is. The kind that is too kind to accept a compliment but should know she’s more than that.”  

“More than pretty?” Your face was hot. You could feel the fire burning within you. Eddie Munson calling you pretty as he spread before you and shared a blunt while the beginnings of his bands second set began to shake the room.  

“Beautiful.”  

“Beautiful?”  

“Gorgeous.”  

“Gorgeous?”  

You repeated the words slowly. He couldn’t help the smile on his own face. His cheeks were red, the hands folded in his lap were sweaty but he would never admit that.  

“The mostest.” You laughed at his grammar. It was technically true, it just sounded awkward. 

“Fucking beautiful.”  

You didn’t repeat that.  

“You, Y/n, are the most fucking beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life and I’ve thought that for six years.”  

“Six?”  

“Since you jumped into the water at Lover’s Lake to save Steve.”  

God, it felt like yesterday.  

“And do you know what?” He questioned, not expecting you to respond, “I have thought about you ever single day since.”  

“Every day?”  

“Each one. And when I was on stage, I looked. Hoping maybe you’d show up one day. I thought about you when I was alone… when I had company…”  

“You’re a pervert, Eddie Munson,” You laughed, he smiled.  

“Well, can you blame a guy? Look at you.” The way his eyes trailed. He was hunting and you were perfect prey.  

“I can’t really… but you can.” Your bottom lip passed through your teeth quickly—barely grazing it as the top of your shoe ran along the inside of his leg. He was fucked.  

“I can. I do.”  

“Why has it taken this long to admit it?”  

“Time wasn’t always on our side…” he sucked in a breath when you put the blunt out right on the counter top. It made a sickening sizzle, burning black onto its white finish. He would probably be charged for that but in the moment he didn’t care.  

“But we’re here now…” you proposed. You moved forward again, barely touching him until you got to your feet and stood in front of him. “Time can stand still for a little while…”  

You were waiting on him to make the move.  

He stood from the stool, pushing it backwards with his foot. He was close again, just as he had been at the bar but this time there wasn’t anything stopping him. No one in his way and for the remaining minutes he had been granted, he had only you.  

Eddie’s hands cupped your face.  

“You’d never be one of them, baby,” you just about fell over, “you’ve always been my number one girl.”  

“And does that come with a prize?”  

“Only the best.”  

His eyes never left your lips as he caressed your face gently, savoring the moment before both of your bodies gave into what they had been craving for half a decade. Eddie’s breath was hot, already staggered as he breathed in one last time before pulled your face to his and planting his lips to yours. You imagined it was what heaven had felt like if something like that existed. He tasted like beer and weed; lips a little chapped from days on the road but a pillow compared to others. He cradled your face with care—almost afraid that if he had gone in too hard the first time it would all be a dream and disappear.  

When he felt your hands creep onto his forearms, he knew he wasn’t dreaming. It was real. You were here, kissing him back in a dingy dressing room at The Hideout on a Tuesday evening. The walls rattled with a metal sound.  

Eddie moved his hands from your face to cradle the back of your head as he pushed himself further into you. Another hand wrapping around your waist tightly. You could feel him clutching onto the fabric of your dress, his fingers digging into the skin of your hip. With nothing to grab onto now, you enveloped his shoulders with your arms and tangled your hands into his hair.  

There was nothing holding him back, nor you, in that room. His hands wandered and groped, he sounded small grunts when you rubbed up against him just right or tugged on his hair just enough. You felt him hard against you, telling you without words that what he had said was the truth.  

You wanted this. You wanted it badly.  

The vanity behind you was digging into your lower back, pressing, and pressing with every movement and the world came back to you with the realization someone could walk in, and you weren’t about to stop if Eddie wasn’t.  

“Eddie,” you broke the kiss, murmuring his name as his lips found the sides of your mouth, your chin, following a path down your neck. “Eddie,” you said again with a pant, “someone could walk in.”  

He let go with an audible 'pop' and nudged his nose to your chin before looking at you. He was so close, breathing heavily as his tongue swept over his lips.  

"Yeah…" He huffed, the way his arms caged you in against the counter, "so what?"  

“I’d rather not give them a show if you know what I mean?”  

Eddie acknowledged that with a nod of his head, glancing in the mirror as he peeked around the room for a door that had a lock. The bathroom. The bathroom had a lock. He had found the solution, placing a delicate kiss on your lips—miles different than the one he had started with.  

“Bathroom good?”  

You brushed a piece of his hair back and he just about melted. “Bathroom’s perfect.”  

You weren’t even sure if he had locked the door before he had his hands and lips on you again. You hit the back of the stall hard but it didn’t matter because Eddie Munson was prepared to give you the time of your life in a dirty, more than likely unsanitary, bar bathroom years in the making. He was taking no prisoners in the way he felt you up—hands acting as a way to stake his claim from everything from your breasts to ass and you swallowed what you could take. Each moan he gave, every sound that levied on a whimper from you. It felt natural having him close. Having him give himself to you in the same passion that you were to him.  

When he went back to assaulting your neck—sucking at the skin to where your nails were making crescents on his shoulders through his jacket—you stuttered a breath.  

“I-I met a few girls who said they met you,” you admitted as he bothered not to stop, “they claimed you’re a real… freak when it comes to this kind of thing.”  

He thought you sounded adorable in the most sexy way. Nervous with a tinge of shakiness in your voice. Eddie didn’t care anymore what people thought of him. What girls said or what they tried to claim about him. All he wanted was to know what you thought, what you claimed of him. He had been waiting for that for six years.  

“They said you used handcuffs,” that made him stop.  

"Is there truth to it?" You couldn't take your eyes off his lips and you could sense he was jittery. Like he had 12 cups of coffee. His finger tapped against the side of the stall impatiently. “It’s a little different from the Eddie I know… one who liked D&D and honeycomb cereal.”  

“I still like that cereal,” he laughed. Eddie shifted his head to the side of your face, letting his mouth kiss your ear lobe tenderly. He still loved D&D too.  

"What kind of freak do you want me to be?"  

You tipped your head to the side slightly, running your hands over his chest and feeling the fabric of his rough t-shirt ride upwards.  

"I want," Your hands ran higher and met their position at the base of his neck. Finger nails disappearing beneath his wild hair and running along his nape, "one that will fuck me in this bathroom until I can barely walk… can you do that for me?"  

Eddie was nearly speechless. Nearly.  

“I could fuck you four ways funny and sweetheart,” he ran his tongue over his lips again, pulling back and looking down at yours, “you wouldn’t be walkin’ after the first one.”  

He was so close, his breath hot and brushing against your face. All the water seemingly drained from him as the need for what you were offering, sweet and plump, had become the perfect meal. Eddie’s right hand slid down the stall door to where it could barely graze your dress at the hip.  

You had already told him what you wanted. But he needed permission. He drew himself closer, pressing into you and you felt how hard he was in his pants.  

“You gonna make me wait forever, sweetheart? You gonna tell me what to do?”  

“I told you what I wanted,” your voice was breathy, deep. He could barely stand it. He could cum right there from just knowing he was finally getting the chance to fuck you.  

“You told me what you wanted,” he clarified, grasping your side tightly and taking the second you gasped to stick his head between his other arm and neck. His hot, panting breath on your neck now was all you could think about. 

“You didn’t say I could.”  

“Fuck me, Eddie,” you tilted your head to the side, letting his lips lightly kiss the skin there. You clutched one lapel of his jacket and reached up to intertwine your fingers in his hair with the other, giving him enough order to suck as he had been doing before. “Fuck me the way you played out there tonight. Like it’s your last goddamn night on earth.”  

He still had that wild hair. However, it was no longer in spite or rebellion against the system but a piece of his image. Only a man so engrossed in the sound and space of what it meant to be a metal, hard rock band could pull off the attitude and aura he exuded.  

He lifted up the skirt of your dress to your waist and let his torso hold it in place as he put both hands to your hips and pulled your panties down. Your breathing was staggered, half excited and half anxious to get him inside of you. He gently tapped your knee to lift.  

When he got them off he shoved them in the back pocket of his pants.  

“I’m keepin’ those.” 

The dress had fallen back down but as he rose to his feet, his fingers painted a path to its edge, driving it upwards and this time, there was nothing restricting his path to you.  

“Baby, you been hidin’ this perfect fucking pussy all these years?”  

Fuck. You felt a fire ignite within you. You knew Eddie Munson had a flare for theatrics; that he was eccentric, and maybe a little insane, but the second his hands touched your body—you felt the satanic panic infiltrate your soul.  

“Eddie,” you whined as one of his hands grew closer to your center and the other kept guiding your dress up. “Stop with your goddamn teasing and fuck me.”  

He would never deny a command from a lady like you.  

Eddie let his fingers descend, pressing his lips to your neck then chin as your breathing hitched right at the precipice. His entire hand cupped you with pressure that made your toes curl.  

“Sh-shit…” you gasped. His smile on your neck was rewarding.  

“Shit is right, Y/n,” Eddie’s fingers spread a bit, two fingers threatening to enter while the others pulled apart your folds. His thumb worked to find your clit without guidance of his eyes. All he needed from you was to tell him when and it took him little time.  

You jolted into him, lolling your head into his chest, and breathing deeply and his lips lost their traction on your neck. He could feel your trembling fingers holding onto him. If he had been 16, he would have came in his pants at the sheer desperation you were giving. The music of heavy metal mixing with the sounds of your pleasure were dizzying. Eddie guided two of his fingers into you.  

“Jesus Christ…” you blurted out as your head pulled back from him and went back against the stall. He was watching you with such precision that you felt hot under his gaze. His fingers were moving swiftly, feeling every part of you as he watched your chest heave and face go slack.  

“You’re so fucking wet, sweetheart. God damn.” He pushed his fingers further into you, curling them the best he could to get you there. He wanted to fuck you but couldn’t tear his eyes away from your wanton face. Eddie’s free hand gripped the base of your neck. His thumb running along the length and applying pressure. “So wet for me, huh?”  

Your eyes were clouded with delirium. He had taken you there with a simple touch. You didn’t know how you would last if he truly took the time to worship you. Eddie could send you to an early grave and you’d say ‘thank you for a fantastic time.’ 

“Always for you,” you whimpered carelessly, “I’ll always be for you.”  

“You really—“ he grunted when your hand tangled in his shirt and nicked the necklace he was wearing. It pulled on his neck. “You really want me to fuck you here?” He flicked your bud making you cry out. “Bend you over like the dirty fucking girl you are?”  

You pulled his shirt, the necklace too, and let his body lay against yours. The only feeling of his hand continuing to pleasure you and his hard dick in his pants reminding you that you wanted something more. His forehead met yours and it was soft in the hardness of lust. 

“Bend me over that sink,” you told him, no longer fuzzy with ecstasy, “I’ve thought about you on lonely nights starring at me through a mirror as you fucked me.”  

He swallowed the lump in his throat that formed with your admission.  

“Show me that I’m not one of those girls, Eddie.”  

He didn’t need to romance you to show you that.  

Eddie removed his fingers with no warning and guided you to the sink with a quickness you had only seen in movies. He was strategic and defined, letting your hands grasp the edges of the porcelain sink that stood alone in the flickering bathroom light. You watched him through the mirror concentrate on undoing his belt, zipping down his pants and pulling himself out of his black jeans. For a second, you wished you had turned around. Wanting to see him hard and leaking for you but you also knew there was no way this was a one and done deal.  

Eddie would wine and dine you; he would take you to a physical bed and make love to you before he’d leave this planet.  

And he still had on his leather jacket.  

“You sure you’re ready for this, baby?” He asked, meeting your gaze in the mirror. “We only got so much time so I’m not going slow.”  

“Yeah, I’m sure,” your fingers had gone taut against the sink; gripping tightly and trying to support yourself as your excitement made you shake. No man had ever had the same effect on you.  

“You tell me to stop and I will, got it?”  

And there were few men confident enough in their abilities to extend kindness in the heat of the moment.  

“Yeah, I got it,” you barely got that out because he grabbed his cock with one of his hands, leaning over you to hold your hand down on the sink—his larger hand covering yours almost completely. He ran the head over your folds and you felt your legs shake.  

“All right then, let me fuck you like I’ve been waiting my whole life to.”  

And he was right, he didn’t stop. Eddie pounded hard and fast into you as if it was exactly that. He hit every part of you, stretching and filling you with a sweet sensation of adrenaline laced possessiveness that had grown throughout the evening. Every time he glanced at the table, the moment he saw you at the bar, the way you held onto his hand as he carried you away from the crowds just to have a second to unwind everything he had felt for you. As he gripped your hip and remained holding your hand against the sink, you could barely say a word for what he was completing in you.  

It was like a puzzle piece finding its home.  

“Motherfucker…” Eddie husked as he picked up the pace, watching himself disappear within your glistening cunt every time he thrusted back and forth. He wasn’t even letting you do much work at this point. He had taken every ounce of himself and poured it into what he had been waiting to do. Eddie Munson was beating to the course of his own drum, not the ones that rattled the walls and swelled through the air ducts to sound off the tile in the bathroom.  

You kept your eyes on him through the mirror even if the pleasure threatened to close them. He was in a zone; concentrated and using his body the best way he knew how.  

“Fuck–” He let go of your hand and slotted it in between you down your front. He brought his middle finger back down to your clit and your breath hitched, stuck inside of your throat. Your fingers were unstable. The grip on the sink wavering with every pounding step he made and the sounds of your wet slick combining with his force was an epiphany.  

You looked again in the mirror. Eddie’s forehead was resting on the skin of your shoulder as he continued to thrust.  

“Eddie,” you breathed out, “look at me.”  

Your words were jumbled. You didn’t know if it came out that way or if you just heard the voice in your head say it correctly, but he didn’t respond.  

“Eddie,” you tried again, “look at me.”  

Look at you–he did. He had. For four goddamn years because that's all he could do was look. Staring like a loser school boy who was infatuated with his unattainable teacher but in reality, the two of you were neither. Just a freak and a prep. The popular girl who was loud and funny but could never spare a glance to him until you had. Until circumstances beyond his imagination had brought him a group of friends that supported him, saved him, from the secrets Hawkins hides. 

His brown eyes blown wide and full, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead as your glinted on your collarbones and the part of your chest he could see.  

“You’re so fucking perfect, Y/n...” He mumbled and laid a kiss on your shoulder. His eyes met yours in the mirror and he was close. The fantasy of the moment he had been waiting for beginning to catch up with him, the ideas you had planted in your mind for days reeling in reality. But you didn’t come here to get fucked and finish by looking at him in the mirror.  

“Turn me over,” you panted quickly, “I’m close.”  

He did as he was told. His cock slipping out for a second as he gripped both sides of your hips and turned you around. In any other situation, he may have been embarrassed about how much he was worked up, but this wasn’t a regular occurrence. This was an endgame for him. Some final quest that would lead his life beyond it with pride and a feeling of content. This was his one shot as much as it was yours. He guided himself back in, feeling you clench around him and lifted one of your legs to wrap around him. Eddie held it with his hand to help ease the strain.  

“I don’t want this to be a one-time thing,” you managed to get out with labored words. Your shaking hand cupping his face as he brought it close to you. Intimacy was no longer divided between a mirror. This was as close to making magic as it could get in a place like this.  

“It won’t be,” he reassured you with a kiss, “I’m not letting you go again, baby.”  

The goddamn pet names. You’d never tire of it.  

He felt you clench around him again, your face fighting the resolution with everything you had left because you didn’t want it to end.  

“Come on, baby,” he murmured against your lips, “come for me, sweetheart, come for me.”  

Eddie put his hand on your neck again, relishing the way your eyes fluttered closed as his lips egged you on with kisses and his hand with a bit of pressure. He would have time to show you what else he could do; to find new things together but right then, all he wanted to see was you fall apart by his own doing.  

A few more thrusts and he had sent you there.  

He had sent you to euphoria–the dazzling electric dance of fire that had been sitting, waiting to be awakened. Your eyes were shut tightly, hands gripping his jacket, and your mouth was agape, a strangled sound of pleasure finding its way out as he followed through with his actions as your orgasm had reached its top. Eddie wished he had a camera because there was no one else who could beat the way your orgasm made him feel.  

He was so lost in the moment staring at you that he had reached his own in a subsequent fashion. You heard him moan, something so many men had been conscious not to do because it was vulnerable, but you grasped him harder as he stilled. You were both breathing so heavily that you couldn’t hear anything else.  

All either of you did was stare at each other––knowing that what had occurred changed the course of not only the evening, but your lives as they were.  

“Holy shit,” Eddie whispered, feeling himself soften inside of you as your fingertips lightly ran through his hair.  

The music from his band was still thundering.  

“Yeah...” you repeated, “holy shit.”  

And he smiled, so you did too.  

“They’ll come looking for me any second,” he said knowingly. Jeff and Gareth let him have his time, but he still needed to play. He didn’t want to leave.  

You brushed his bangs away from his face gently. “Well, a band always needs their star...”  

You thought he was a star. A star.  

“Well, a man needs his muse too.”  

“His muse will be out there... cheering him on from a booth with both of their friends.”  

Eddie bit his lip, not wanting to go but knowing that he had to. He nodded, almost warning you that he was going to pull out and it still hadn’t hit either of you that a condom had gone forgotten. He tried to ignore the small wince you let out when he eventually did, stuffing himself back into his pants as you pulled your dress down and turned to face the mirror again.  

“Sorry,” he said both in response to the soreness he’s sure you felt, but also for the marks he had left on the skin exposed due to the design of your dress. You examined them in the mirror.  

“Here,” Eddie pulled off his jacket and was thankful he did so because he was sweltering in it, “take it and when the shows over, you come back, and I’ll take you for a drink.”  

A date of sorts.  

“You sure?” You caught his eyes in the mirror as he opened the jacket, placing it on your shoulders and holding his hands there.  

“There’s no one else I’d rather see wearing it out there.”  

“I don’t know if I could pull it off as well as you,” you laughed, your head shaking at the idea of you–someone who had never worn a leather jacket–wearing his. “I don’t know if I’m the type.”  

“Of course, you are,” Eddie moved to the side of the sink, letting your hands turn on the faucet and let the water run, “you’re a rock star’s girl so I need you to show it off. Besides...” he trailed off, hearing the door to the dressing room open beyond the bathrooms, “you could wear nothing and be the best dressed person in there.”  

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a wiggle of the handle but thankfully, Eddie did lock the door.  

“Eddie?” it was Jeff, “Time’s up, man. I know you wanna, well, you know...” he sounded embarrassed, “but they know you’re missing.”  

“Be out in a second!” Eddie shouted through the door and the handle went still again.  

“You should go,” you pumped soap into your hand once the water was warm, “you have fans waiting.”  

“Promise me you’ll wear it?” His eyes were hopeful. He had finally snagged the girl of his dreams. He didn’t need to define it to know you were committed too. “Please?”  

“I’m wearing it already, aren’t I?” You smiled at him, nodding your head to the door. “Go.”  

He started off toward the door and just when he was about to unlock it, he turned around, meeting your eyes in the mirror and coming straight back to you. His hands grabbed your face and pulled you to him, his lips meeting yours in a searing kiss. It had been the lingering feelings of love unspoken that had told him to do it. He pulled away first.  

“I’ll be looking for you out there.”  

“I’ll be watching.”  

The bar was as you had left it.  

Eddie made it to the stage by the time you had cleaned yourself up and became satisfied that your look was a bit different to the one you had begun the night with. The music was still loud, the people were still excited, and the two booths remained filled with your friends. You stopped at the bar on your way back for a glass of water and the same woman as before served you.  

There were still a hundred bodies lingering around the space, but a single open gap led you to her. She smiled at you.  

“You left your beer on the bar,” she said as her eyes narrowed, looking at the jacket you wore. You played with the cuffs as the people around you listened to the music. “Want another?”  

“No,” you shook your head, “just water please.”  

She nodded her head and grabbed a glass before filling it with ice.  

“Just friends, huh?”  

You shrugged, a small smile playing on your face.  

“Maybe a bit more than that.”  

The bartender gave you a wink as you left the bar to make your way through the maze of guests. You didn’t mind the water falling onto your hand as the people danced and forced your cup to move, thoughts filled with Eddie and the future of the evening ahead.  

“Hey!” You barely heard their calls, “Y/N! Over here!”  

Dustin’s screeching was the loudest, but you saw Robin standing with Nancy on the booth and their grins were huge. You reached your table and sat beside Steve. Robin and Nancy sat back down but no one said anything. You wouldn’t meet their eyes as you sipped your water. Steve nudged your shoulder twice before you mustered the strength to look at each one of them.  

“That jacket’s new,” Steve commented, and Robin could barely contain her excitement. She hid her mouth behind her hands.  

“It is,” you replied with a curt nod.  

“So are those hickeys,” Jonathan stated, looking around the venue after he said it and his cheeks went red. Nancy slapped his arm.  

“Got anything to say?” Steve inquired.  

“Nope,” you popped the ‘p’ dramatically, “not really.”  

Steve hummed, grinning like the rest of the fools at the table. You looked over at the stage and saw Eddie playing once more, catching him once looking over at the table and he beamed.  

“You know, Steve,” you called out to him but didn’t look at him, “the thing you said in the car, about the bathrooms... you were right.”  

The table erupted in delighted cheers. Steve patted your knee proudly.  

Six years felt like forever, but you knew, looking onto that stage at The Hideout as the man you had been pining over played his heart out, that it was nothing compared to the potential of the future. The clock reset. You were only counting the time starting now... well, the time that started 30 odd minutes ago.  

[usafphantom2]

How the Blue Angels convinced Tom Cruise to make the movie "Top Gun"

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/02/2024 - 00:03in Demonstration Squads, History, Military

It's hard to imagine a world without the Top Gun movie. Aviation lovers watch at least once a year, despite the banality of the 80s, because the flight scenes are as cool now as they were more than 30 years ago. The best talents were hired to ensure a successful production, but the star of the film needed to be convinced by the Blue Angels to finally decide to become Maverick.

In another fantastic interview with Ryan Notthaft on Blue Angel Phantoms on YouTube, the Blue Angel pilot who piloted Tom Cruise, Curt "Griz" Watson, talks about his experience.

When reading the script alone, Cruise didn't find it funny. He was a serious actor who was still standing out, and there was a lot of apprehension about how the audience would receive an aviation film. Because the truth is that no aviation movie was really a big box office success before Top Gun.

But the producers knew they had a winner. They considered Top Gun as "Star Wars on Earth", inspired by a story years earlier in California Magazine. But Cruise initially did not share his vision, nor did many producers before Paramount. They had no real characters or stories, just cool jets.

"When I first read it, I thought they had a very limited story and script," Cruise recalled in an old behind-the-scenes article about the production of the film, which you can watch at this link. "I thought so, I don't know about it."

In a final desperate attempt to convince Cruise to join, producer Jerry Bruckheimer called Navy Admiral Peter Garrow, asking Cruise of the Navy to convince him to make the film. Garrow, of course, called the Blues Angels with the orders.

Grizz exceeded Cruise's expectations very well on the team's No. 7 jet, an A-4 Skyhawk. With a bag full of vomit, Cruise was hooked and his love affair with aviation began. When he landed he walked to the nearest public phone, called Bruckheimer and said "I do this".

But he was not satisfied only with the flight on the A-4 of the Blue Angels. After all, Mav is an F-14 Tomcat pilot. So Cruise requested flight time on the F-14 as part of his character's development. What made perfect sense. Cruise even put this in his contract. The producers and the Navy happily accommodated him.

His first F-14 flight also hit him in the head. Your pilot, indicative of call Bozo, put him in a difficult situation. You can watch the interview above about some of these flights, or better yet, watch the video here where Cruise and Bozo talk about it.

He loved piloting the F-14 so much that he even told his pilots "let's film these scenes and then tear everything apart. I'll evaluate you about who is the best driver." Each pilot wanted to know how his other pilots fared and then competed to see who could kick Tom's ass harder.

Cruise has been in love with flying since then. He is now a talented pilot, certified for various types of aircraft. He also owns a World War II P-51 Mustang fighter.

Source: AvGeekery

Tags: Blue AngelsDouglas A-4 SkyhawkHISTORYTop GunUSN - United States Navy/U.S. Navy

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[gonkaccino]

Rewatching the entirety of Doom Patrol before the finale has led to some realizations, like how Rita expresses the exact same fears in 4x10 as she did back in season 1: "Larry has his spirit, Jane has Cliff, who do I have?" Only now, the problem has compounded. Larry has Keeg and Rama; Jane has Cliff, Kay, possibly Shelley and/or Casey (the sky's the limit, Kaleidoscope Jane!); Vic has his dad, Deric, maybe Roni one day; Cliff has Jane, Clara, Rory...

Who does Rita have, besides a dead boyfriend waiting for her in the afterlife who doesn't really know anything about Rita Farr, and a backstabbing shapeshifter whose self-serving cowardice even makes Rita go, "wow, and I thought I was bad!" There's not been anything at all that challenges Steve Dayton's conclusion after reading her mind, that she's a horrible person who deserves to die alone and forgotten. In her eyes, she's just as bad -- maybe worse -- than she was back then; she's never done any meaningful good to counter all the bad she's done in her life. She's spent two lifetimes trying and failing to accomplish anything, and now, dying of old age, she's decided enough's enough, time to give up.

It's not like anyone in the group can say, "Hey Rita, I know you're accepting your own death due to a lifetime of self-loathing and the hope that death will finally rid you of Rita Farr forever, allowing you to truly be yourself with Malcolm, but have you considered trying one more time? It could go differently THIS time!!"

[wombatwisdom]

Thoughts from the Gather Conference

I want to take some time to engage with some of the speakers from the Gather Conference. I do want to share my thoughts with others, but mostly I'm doing this for myself. Also, my thoughts are based on my recollections of speeches I have only heard once and do not have the text to review, so everything is my paraphrasing and interpretation.

-------------------------------------------------

Charlie Bird and Allison Dayton spoke one right after the other on Day 2 of the conference and whether intentional or not, their messages paired nicely.

Charlie's address, entitled "Resolution through the Gospel of Christ" focused mostly on dispelling the myth of having to choose between being a child of God and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He believes that the idea of needing choose is a lie and one that is held onto by traditional thinking. His call to arms was to actively choose both, be a child of God who is out and proud.

Allison Dayton's speech, entitled "Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent", was focused on reaching out to people in the "wilderness of life" and invite them into our tents. She was clear that the tent in her analogy is not the Church as an institution but rather the personal tent of our lives. She said, quite clearly, that we cannot do much about the church's policies of inclusion, but we can invite everyone into our circles of love regardless.

-------------------------------------------------

Potentially controversial take here, so fair warning.

To the outside observer these talks seem a bit toothless, especially when looked at from an activist lens. Enlarging circles of love and being out and proud children of God on their own seem like harmless and lackluster. If you are looking for monumental change, will either of these acts actually accomplish that?

I'm also not sure Charlie or Allison have alterior motivations here, they may not be actively trying shake things up, but my Machiavellian little soul can help but see something deeper going on here.

The church is often times miles behind when it comes to social change and obvious activism hardly ever results in much more than name calling. True change in the church comes from those in minority groups gradually carving out acceptance and many many many meetings with those in power. And since most of us won't sit in counsils with those in control, we must settle with carving out acceptance.

Here is where Charlie and Allison come in. There is something transgressive in what they are saying while still remaining technically within the doctrines of mormonism.

Charlie's approach feels similar to Harvey Milk's in the 1970's. Milk's philosophy was that everyone should be out in all walks of life to show that "average people" knew someone in the LGBTQ+ community. This was controversial at the time and still is now, but I can see the appeal of this approach. And I personally think there was some success in the normalization of a very specific type of "queer person" in the mainstream.

Charlie's proposal directly confronts the belief that some Mormons hold that the LGBTQ+ community is somehow not part of the Momron community. Or that we shouldn't be. And I do think that being out, at the very least, would force people to recognize we exist and we are unavoidable.

Allison's approach is different but reaches a similar outcome (and can be practiced by Allies and LGBTQ+ folks). By encouraging people to expand their circles of inclusion she is subtly disrupting the status quo in Mormonism. Ultimately she is proposing a grassroots movement, first of love and support, that if grown large enough might force larger change.

-------------------------------------------------

Now again, this is my inference and thoughts. And both of these approaches are very quiet forms of activism that don't ask for very much and deliberately indirect. This is, if it is anything, the long game.

I think I wanted to share this because often this type of advocacy is either dismissed entirely by critics or is easily missed by those looking for it as the advocacy is implied rather than stated.

At the end of the day, advocacy in this space is controversial, difficult, and messy. And while imperfect--i think that there is at least hope to be had. Because even if change doesn't come, Charlie's and Allison's visions will still be vital in building community which is always needed.

[nerdygaymormon]

Gather Conference - Day 2

On Sept 15 & 16, 1400 people gathered together, making it the largest-ever Conference of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints and their friends, relatives, and leaders.

The speaker's messages were powerful

The day began with GENTRI The Gentleman's Trio performing. They concluded by having their pianist share his story of coming out and being upset at God, and receiving a message from God which became their song Believe.

Most people first heard of Liv Medoza Haynes when at the 2021 BYU Women's Conference she introduced herself and included the label "queer."

In a church that emphasizes being of good cheer, she points out that Jesus wept and cried, he got angry, and it's fine that we also feel our emotions.

She was wearing a shirt that said, "Keep queer children safe," and she said in choosing what we wear and in our other decisions, choosing to promote love and not hate is the only choice worth making. She also said the only thing straight about her is her hair 😂

Her most powerful statement is that "no verse of scripture is worth losing another life over"

Michael Soto is a transgender man who grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa, Arizona and is a leader in the U.S. LGBTQ+ rights movement. He spoke about Bridge Building. Choose to be uncomfortable, to learn, to grow, to change. God gave us agency so that we can change and be better to each other. The most important change you can make is to love yourself the way God loves you.

Ben Schilaty is well known inside the LDS Church as a gay man who is active and chooses to follow church standards. He said sharing our stories is letting people see and feel our wounds as Jesus did. When they can feel our hurts, they can share in feeling the pain and empathize with what we've been through. Ben is co-host of the podcast Questions from the Closet and their episodes which receive the most interaction are those where someone has been very vulnerable as they emotionally shared the difficult choices they had to make and the situations they were forced into as a queer person.

Ben Schilaty shared this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson that really hit home for me

I dim I dim I do not doubt If someone blew– I would go out.

I did not. I must be brighter than I thought

After 50 years of experiencing gender incongruence, Bree Borrowman came out as trans in 2019. Bree shared that the hiding, sneaking, and shame led to a loss of Spirit. Being authentic, being vulnerable, leaning into the LGBTQ spectrum brought the Spirit back into her life.

Coming out as trans has brought her great blessings. She feared she would lose everything, but God and Jesus turned out not to be the vindictive judges she thought they were. She was able to lay down her burden and has discovered and learned about herself.

Ashley Hess was a finalist on the 2019 season of American Idol. She performed 4 songs for us, each were beautiful, and each were meaningful. "To the Girl I used to Be" and "Grain of Salt" were wonderful, but my favorite was "Yet." I don't hear many songs from this perspective of ‘I'm trying, so God please don't give up on me.’

Charlie Bird shared with us that he is now married!!!! Big congratulations to him and Ryan. Charlie gave a powerful talk.

Satan's big lie is that an integral part of who we are and which we can't separate ourselves from is incompatible with God. We feel like we are only half a child of God, that we are only half worthy. These beliefs damn us and marginalize an entire demographic.

We do not have to choose between being a child of God and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We are both.

Allison Dayton is the founder of Lift+Love and along with Ben Schilaty she conceived of the Gather Conference.

She shared a number of scripture verses about God's people in the wilderness and said we find God in the wilderness. Queer people and their families often feel like they are in the wilderness and that's where they find God.

Allison also shared that we are not supposed to be just friends, Zion means we are to be one. We are to be united, not dividing up people by who is good enough and who isn't.

We were never meant to be alone. Ever! The very first thing God called "not good" was loneliness. We can start Zion in our own homes by pulling people in who need a place to belong and welcome them

Jenny Richards & Kelly McConkie Stewart are musicians, members of the LDS church, and committed allies to the LBGTQ community.. They played the piano and cello. Their music was beautiful. At the conclusion of the conference, one of them said they wanted to buy some LDS/LGBT swag from the vendors in the lobby. I offered them some swag that isn't for sale out front. Jenny took the pin and said she is going to wear it to church the next day. Kelly took a sticker while commenting she will put it on her cello case

Jeff Case says we shouldn't focus on outcomes but on the process. For example, we can focus on the outcome of exaltation, or we can focus on the process of becoming Christlike. The process is what will lead to the the outcome we desire.

There are many processes which can lead to the outcome, but when we focus on the outcome we tend to shortcut the process. He spoke of being the father of a son who likes to play Yu-Gi-Oh! and he would tease him, like 'Aren't you too old to still play that game?' He was focused on what he wanted his son's life to look like when he grows up that he lost focus on the process. This is something his son loves so he could choose to participate as a way of spending time with his son and strengthening their relationship. Instead, by focusing on the outcome, he is indicating to his son that he may need to hide things from his dad, which, ironically, would not lead to the outcome that Jeff would want.

Tom Christofferson interviewed Darius Gray, and it felt like we were in the presence of one of the great ones as Darius shared his experience of choosing to join the LDS Church, being one of only 2 African-American students at BYU, meeting regularly with 3 apostles about how to improve life for Black members of the church, and living through the 1978 announcement and change. I nodded in agreement when Darius declared he's heard more Jesus talk at this conference than he hears in a typical LDS Sacrament Meeting.

John Gustav-Wrathel is married to his husband and chooses to attend church despite having been excommunicated many years ago. He said that when he looks back on his life, even as he was one of the most faithful people he knew, he was convinced he had no faith because he was taught that if he had enough faith that his sexual orientation would be changed. He believed the teachings of the time instead of listening to God and the Spirit and trusting his own experiences.

Steven Kapp Perry was host throughout the conference and took a moment to share a thought. You can never know that you are truly loved unless you share who you truly are.

Meghan Decker is a gay Latter-day Saint and has written 2 books. She began by sharing that life is hard and can be dark. She encourages us to share with each other what is saving our life now.

She grew up in the 1970's hearing all the harmful church teachings about queer people and it has left scars in her. She now knows that God loves her and has good intent for her.

When Meghan moved to Provo, UT, the first person in her ward to greet her was Janice Kapp Perry. Janice composed a song for the Gather Conference. She recognized the LGBTQ experience is not hers and needed help to get the lyrics right. She contacted Meghan and Meghan's words were used to create the verses of the song.

While reviewing what Meghan had written, Janice commented that the word "broken" is so strong and they should find an alternate word, but Meghan insisted that's how she and many other queer Latter-day Saints have felt. Meghan pointed out that during this day of the conference 8 of those who spoke used the word "broken" to describe how they felt.

Janice then asked, "Do you think my two boys felt that way?"

That question really hit my heart, a mom gaining insight into the pain of her queer children.

Janice wrote a song titled "All Are Alike Unto God." It was performed on the first day of the conference by Molly Flake and John Bowers. I wished I had recorded it as the words mean a lot to me. The final act of the conference before the closing prayer was for all those in attendance to sing the song. Janice has made the song available for free, you can access the sheet music on the Gather Conference website

Click here for a summary of Day 1 of the Gather Conference

[georgiapeach30513]

Got A Secret, Part 1

Summary:   When Dayton White makes a bad call with his latest girlfriend, and she tries to destroy his career, it is up to you his makeup artist to help fix it.  You were older, and more mature.  Had already been spotted with Dayton happily smiling, and the fans loved you.  Now you’re in front of the cameras left wondering when does the acting stop...

Pairings:  Dayton White X Reader

Rating:  mild

Warnings:  language, lies, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  2.3K

Series Masterlist

*dividers created by @firefly-graphics​

“He’s in the chair,” Dayton’s assistant peeks his head into your room with a big smile. Ray was ever punctual for Dayton’s erratic behavior. “He’s ready and waiting on you,” you stand quickly, grabbing your kit as you follow Ray down the corridor to Dayton’s dressing room. 

“You know why he likes you?”

“Because I allow him to call me sweetheart without making a peep?”

Ray raises his eyebrows and nods in agreement with you, “Because you’re punctual. You’re always ready and waiting for him when he comes to call. You keep your mouth shut. I know that you’ve undoubtedly seen and heard some stuff. He’s not a bad guy.”

“No, he’s definitely got potential. His fame, notoriety, and good looks have afforded him a certain way of life, however.  And you and everyone else enables his childlike tendencies.  A man that has never grown up, but then portrays himself to be the picture perfect example of marriage material.”

“Oh? And why would you say that?” Rays asks. His hand on the door, ready to open it so you can deal with Dayton. 

“The man’s a slut,” you shrug. “I mean come on, every girl he comes across, they know about him. They don’t care. They want that moment to think that their pussy could actually change him. They sign that NDA quickly, he gets his dick wet, and he moves on. It’s simple math really.”

“He also likes you’re one of the few people that’ll tell him no.”

“I don’t get paid to coddle a grown man. I get paid to make sure his age isn’t showing and people don’t question why someone with a perfectly curated image such as himself can’t keep a woman. Make him look younger so playing the fields doesn’t look so bad. I thought you knew that,” you give him a chuckle as you walk into the room. 

Dayton usually gives everyone his perfect facade of America’s golden boy, but for some reason, he’s always been able to let his guard down with you. Forbade anyone to be in the room while you work on him. It was like he was able to be himself while you put on his mask. Hiding the real him from the world. 

Typically the man’s phone was far enough away, always upright so you could see his alerts, this time, it was snug in his hand. Practically angling the screen in an odd way to make you question just who had his attention. You didn’t take the bait. Dayton was not your friend. He was a client. 

Dayton sighs, finally laying his phone in his lap, still screen up. He thought he was slick making his notifications private, until it was just you and him, and then you were able to see everything. You were a makeup artist, he assumed you frothed at the mouth for gossip. “What are you promoting today, Mr. White?”

“Ugh, please, you of all people don’t call me that. I’m Dayton,” he waits for your response as you add some concealer to his eye bags. You wondered if this man ever slept, or was he always just fucking and playing the game. 

You still don’t respond. Preferred to keep the conversation led by him. You asked a question, he didn’t answer. “You really don’t know?”

“If I knew, would I have asked a question?” His phone lights up with a text, and against your better judgment you look down, and see her name again. Stupid girl. You casually tried to warn Dayton that she was too young and ambitious. He didn’t listen. 

He looks at his phone, but doesn’t respond. Doesn’t even open it. Which leads to a few back to back texts. “Needy,” you surmise. Dayton knew he had you. You tried to act aloof, but the difference was, you actually cared. And you responded, you saw who was texting him and that was his goal.  He always wanted to hear your input, whether he applied it to his life or not.

“Yeah. That’s why the um,” he clears his throat asking about the next product you were putting on his face. “Damage control.”

“I don’t even want to know.”

“She uh…she wants to go public,” don’t respond. Don’t react. For every step forward that Dayton thinks he has with you, he realizes these games don’t work. “I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

“We’re fucking. She’s not the only one. She’s too young. Too new in the industry. Too needy. Too…as you say ambitious.”

“Hmm, maybe next time you date a woman that wants to get ahead in the industry you’ll make sure she knows you’re just using her as a flesh light,” Dayton snorts, and looks back down in his lap. If you weren’t so entertaining, he would have gotten rid of you a long time ago. You were always smarting something off to him, but he needed to hear it.  And he enjoyed your take on his chaotic life.

You however, didn’t speak on matters between you and him. Your mouth was always zipped tight. “She’s ruining my image.”

“Oh, the one you don’t care about? The one you’ve created for the last decade. Became what America’s women want. Be obtainable in a sense. Make them think you want a regular girl, when in reality you have a very specific type.”

“And what’s that?”

“Tall, but not too tall. Skinny. Blonde. Actress. I think that covers it,” you remove the tissue from his shirt, and spin him around to look at himself, but he stares blankly in the mirror. “Are you needing anything else, Dayton?”

He looks down at his phone and panic arises on his perfectly chiseled face, “Dammit! Ray! Get Ray!” You cock up an eyebrow looking at him, “I know it’s not your job.”

You don’t even have to get Ray; he and Dayton’s whole team start bursting into the room, “Have you checked the gossip blogs?”

“You’re starting to trend on Twitter.”

“Shit! She left a cryptic message on Instagram.”

“We need to make a statement to some outlet. Who do you want?”

“Which narrative are we trying to spin? How does this affect your upcoming projects?”

“God, you’re so stupid.”

“No!! There’s hate happening. You’ve got a less than shiny piece on the gossip sites.”

Fingers snap, screams, and overall pushing you out of the room, and Dayton gives you a final sad smile, mouthing out, “Sorry.”

You don’t want to look. It was all an image that he and the whole team faked, and it sounded like that image was being tarnished for the time being. You step back into your room. You’re paid well to sit around and wait for him to be touched up. 

“Put out that picture we’ve been sitting on,” Ray tells a publicist, and Dayton stands up quickly to protest. “That’s our best option.”

“It’s a lie.”

“She’s your fucking age. You wanted to get a young pussy, and now she’s biting off your dick. Using your fame and resources to make her star rise, while yours is fading. Do I have your permission to source out the photo?” Dayton scratches the back of his neck. Trying to think if his career was even worth it. 

“She’s been seen with you before. This makes it stop. The fans react well to her, and even look for her at events. Let’s send it to all our sources. Send it to a few of the gossip blogs. Nothing has to be said. Let everyone else make up their mind on what’s happening. All that tartlet has is a few coincidences. No evidence of you together,” Dayton grimaces, because that wasn’t entirely true. 

“My god, you’re so stupid. I hope this was worth it. Your career or your makeup artist?”

“Send the photo,” Dayton responds wearily. He settles back into his chair with his fingers rubbing along his temples. “We’re not putting out an official statement either way. Inform the host no personal questions of any sort. I want all major outlets and fan-run sites and blogs to have that exclusive. Make this go away, and make it quick.”

“Just my usual,” you smile at the barista, already handing over your card. You look over to a nearby table, giving the two girls a smile when they gasp, and lean in to whisper to each other. 

“It’s kinda weird seeing you here,” the barista tells you, and you give her an odd look. “I thought you would be back in New York.”

“Oh, Dayton doesn’t have any upcoming events.  We got a break from filming,” she tilts her head to the side, but then smiles with a wink. It was odd. You’ll give her that, but the coffee here was impeccable. 

Hearing a clicking sound of a camera you look back at the girls, who’s phones go in their lap quickly. Probably a selfie. Giving a nod to the barista, you grab your coffee, and start to head out, until you hear, “That is her,” and turn to another table. 

Becoming paranoid as they blatantly point at you, and look down at their phones. You feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment as more and more people look up at you. Some from phones and some from a magazines with Dayton on the cover. 

Trying to hold onto your dignity you walk out quickly. Looking at your phone before calling your mom, “Honey, why didn't you tell me?” This doesn’t help calm your fear as you pick up your pace, heading to your car.

“You and Dayton. It’s actually a great match. He seems like the best guy. So kind. And he wants kids. Are you finally going to make me a grandmother?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, honey, you really don’t read the gossip do you? But…there was an exclusive source.  And I’m your mother.  You could have at least told me that this business partnership had turned romantic.”

“What?” You put your head down, opening up the door to your car. It felt like your heart was pounding out of your chest, and you just had to get out of here. 

“You got caught. I’ll admit the timing looks a bit suspicious since that stupid girl had a few screen shots and messages, and…well, I’m sure yours and Dayton’s timeline can be discussed. Maybe he didn’t know how he felt at the time, or wasn’t aware that you were exclusive.”

“Oh my god. I can’t breathe.”

“Oh, sweetheart, were you not ready to be public?” You never look at the gossip. Never desired to because it was all fake. But it doesn’t take long to find exactly what your mother was talking about. A picture of you and Dayton, supposed to be alone for you to do his makeup. 

The two of you were giggling and laughing, and he was pushing a bit of fallen hair out of your face. Had you not known what was going on, you could see how a picture of you leaning over him in the chair, right in his face, while both his hands were on you could be romantic. You don’t even remember his hand being on your hip, or this moment. Things happened so quickly for makeup. Most of the time they were enjoyable. 

‘He looks happy.’

‘Actor, Dayton White finally finds the one.’

‘Hiding under his nose all along.’

‘A source tells us they are happily in love.’

“Dayton!” You scream into the phone as he picks up. 

He was afraid that the blindsight of this was not ideal, but he had a reputation to protect and was filming a family movie with a wife and kids, “What the fuck is going on?”

“Damage control.”

“I’m not part of your fantasy world. Take it back!”

“Doesn’t work like that. Just…give me a few months, clean up my image, and we can go our separate ways.”

“And you can find a new fucking makeup artist! I can’t believe you! How did you get this picture? It’s…” even you couldn’t deny the chemistry between you and Dayton. It looked almost too intimate. Personable and comfortable. But there was something in the way he was looking at you. You’d seen it a hundred times in his movies though. It was just part of the ever churning cog in Dayton’s life. He was an actor. 

“It’s perfect for me.”

“I didn’t ask for this!”

“You don’t have to do anything, but show up on my arm. We’ve got a pap walk scheduled for when we get back on set,” you let your head drop down onto the steering wheel. “Please, just do this for me. You know how much my career and image mean to me.”

“I have conditions then.”

“Whatever you want. Name your price.”

You scoff hearing that, “I don’t want money. I want respect. You quit sleeping around.”

“Does that mean I get to with…”

“No! Get acquainted with your hand. You stepping out on me isn’t going to help your image. Don’t sneak them in your house. Don’t like pictures on Instagram, don’t slide into someone’s DMs. If you’re playing the role of my boyfriend, then you act like. I can't believe you didn’t ask!”

“I knew you’d say no. Don’t…don’t get on social media though. Please?”

“Why?”

“Just don’t. Be you. Don’t get on. But I need you to hand your passwords over to MacRay immediately. He’s got to scrub your social media. Luckily you don’t post much. But your likes, they can be questionable at times.. Call him as soon as you hang up.”

“I hate you so much right now.”

“I know. I’m sorry, and if there was any other way, I would have done it. You’re a lifesaver, and I’ll owe you forever!”

Famous last words that you knew no matter what that Dayton wouldn’t be able to hold up that promise. You just take a deep breath and get ready to weather this shit storm that had been brewing from the stupid tarltlet. Dayton and his dick were always getting him in trouble. And up until now you had managed to come out unscathed, but now you have to be the one in front of the camera.  Smiling and playing make believe.  All to protect him.

Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season​ @marveloustaylortot​ @pono-pura-vida​ @sstan-hoe​ @infatuatedjanes​ @missusbarnes-rogers​ @whiskeytangofoxtrot555​ @peaches1958​ @thedarkplume​ @rebekahdawkins​ @seitmai​ @smile1318​ @andydrysdalerogers​ @filthy-gorgeous-library​

[shallowseeker]

Pre-13x06 Tombstone moments were among Jack's best

Jack’s Heaven was the car ride to Dodge City

(Image from Naomi Aria)

Some fun observations about the scene:

They stopped for food at an adorable dog-theme diner called "Skipper's Beach Cafe"

Which....BEACH. The ghost of happiness -> toes-in-the-sand beach!

Anyway, it's adorable that they're lost, but it's also a little sad that the very act of getting lost is what led them...to the symbolic beach.

But wait! On the other hand, the specter of this beach COULD BE a false beach promise, symbolizing that whole "checking out and running away" temptation

When viewed as such, it makes SAM's proximity to Skipper's Beach Diner / Miracle / False Salvation a little disturbing, especially when viewed with the 15x20 finale in mind; it could be a figment

It could be read either way, that SAM's the only one who finds salvation by becoming lost and not adhering to a plan; OR (since Sam's app sucks) it's a danger sign, that Sam's off-road "checking out" is being led to a false dream. Apps tend to give instructions and steps, but maps must be interpreted in a spatial context

This would imply that Dean/Cas + Jack are actually the ones finding their footing here (at this moment in time in the story, anyways)

But back to cute things: Sam's phone app sucks ass & he's not happy about it

Sam is even whining about it, which makes me think that his whining in 12x12 Stuck in the Middle (With You) is totally a legit thing that Sam does often, because Jack has no reason to exaggerate here (God bless my annoying, tall man-child)

In this memory, Cas gets associated with maps, as he pulls an old-school map from the glove compartment and hands it over to Dean

(Cas is often associated to maps; he is the navigator-commander to Dean's captain-of-the-course to Sam's field marshal)

Cas is that holy North Star, the symbolic "North is up"

He's the thing that the boys put their faith in; a family protector; "angelic defender"; the thing that grounds Dean in particular

We see this dynamic again later, in 13x21 Beat the Devil. That is, Dean & Cas, as a UNIT, get the bearings for the group:

DEAN (snapping into business mode): Yeah. Thought we’d get spit out in the same spot, but this isn’t it. All right, well Charlie -- the other Charlie -- said that Mary and Jack have an outpost in Dayton. SAM: Okay. Let’s get our bearings and head that way. Cas, where are we? CAS (closing his eyes and concentrating): Uh, Kentucky. Northeast Kentucky. Or what used to be Kentucky. DEAN (looking at the sky then pointing): Which means that’s north. Okay, so Dayton’s that way. Roughly. Two days by foot but...that way. SAM: All right. [The group begins to move towards where Dean pointed.]

In AU earth, in later episodes, Cas even draws a map for them to reference as they go; Cas is keeping them grounded

Overall, Cas helps Dean get his bearings, and together, they help the group get their bearings (especially when Sam's way isn't working--in 13x06’s case, the app).

So, in 13x06, after Cas hands Dean the map, Dean is calm, maybe even grounded for the first time since Cas died.

Immediately, Dean begins teaching Jack to "read a map," perhaps taking on the role as PARENT TO JACK for the very first time (Jack and Dean have known each other ~20-25 days at this point). Dean is passing down the legacy of wayfinding.

Side note: Jack is shown gobbling down a burger, the thing that CAS loves in 5x14 My Bloody Valentine, and the thing that Dean makes, even as late as 15x14 Last Holiday (specifically with the goal of getting Jack out of his room):

SAM: What’s with the apron? DEAN: Burgers! But the pilot light keeps going out. It’s like the third time this week. Between that and the hot water, I thought this place was supposed to be state-of-the-art. SAM: It was, in the 50’s. DEAN: Hhm. Ah, Jack come out of his room yet?

Here in the 13x06 scene, when Jack crams the burger in, Dean nags him.

It's a contrasting callback to their first real "meeting" in 13x02 ("You can slow down, you know. That stuff’s not gonna disappear.")

The warning against eating too much, too fast, is a nod to parental nagging, sure, and that's cute.

But it's also tacitly associating Jack to overconsumption, which a key motif to both his Nephil-status and status as a rival, Usurper-God (not to mention, his zombie obsession):

[in Jack’s Heaven, working the case from 13x06 Tombstone, Jack gobbles a burger while the rest of TFW stand by Baby researching their route to Dodge City with their food laid out on the car’s hood. Sam is in the background on his phone] DEAN: Jack, take it easy. You don't have to cram it all in at once, right? SAM: Still no signal. DEAN: Yeah, 'cause I told you, that app blows. CAS [emerging from the car with a map]: I found this in the glove compartment. DEAN: Ah! Old school! A real map. Let's find our way to Dodge City. C'mere, Jack. I'm gonna teach you how to read a map. So, rule number one-- rule number one-- rule number one-- JACK: Dean? DEAN: North is usually up. [the sun appears to flicker on and off, and Jack looks up at the sky] JACK: Something's wrong. [Jack leaves his personal heaven and wanders out into the stark white hallway of Heaven, where the lights are also flickering. A tidal wave of black goo fills the hallway and chases after him as he runs away.]

He's recalling Dean specifically here, in order to get his bearings. He's using the wayfinding skills symbolically gifted to him by Dean & Cas.

It gives more weight to Dean & Cas in the prior scene, because this skill allows Jack to see the truth (about Heaven, about The Empty).

[spurgie-cousin]

Why did the browns move out of Las Vegas? That set up with the houses all in one place was good. Had they now move do you believe the family would be so divided? And all the divorces?

So the leading theory for a long time was that Robyn wanted to move because her son Dayton had been accepted to a university in Arizona and was going to be living there. Christine's kids Gwen and Paedon have since confirmed that was definitely a big motivation. I think Robyn really made a big deal about it wanting to be near Dayton, and Kody saw this opportunity to buy some land and get the family to live in one big house again which has always been a goal of his. So because it was appealing to both of them, they really pushed for it.

People have also speculated that it had something to do with Kody's gun business, and that after the big shooting in Las Vegas the market was not only down but the state of Nevada was discussing stricter gun control laws, which would've been a problem for him (personally idk how much I buy that because Nevada is pretty red state and Kody knows that).

But to be fair, Kody himself has said that he has never felt satisfied or at home in any place that he's lived since he was a kid, so I think there was some simple impulsive behavior at work there too. Kody has said he is constantly in search of a certain feeling that he got from his childhood home that he's never had as an adult, and that he ideally would just keep moving until he found it. And much like the other moves, once he gets it in his head that he's going to do it there's not much anyone else can say to change his mind.

As far as if they'd be as divided, I think it would've taken longer to get to where they all are now if they'd stayed in Vegas but they would've eventually ended up separated. Christine said she thought that staying in Vegas would've just prolonged the inevitable, for her at least. The move and COVID just exposed and exacerbated a lot of problems that were already there, like for example Kody had been ignoring Meri while they were in LV too and was not into reconciling with her, it just became way easier to avoid her in Flagstaff when she wasn't right next door. I guess the one benefit of them moving is that it allowed Christine, Janelle, and Meri to get out and get on with their lives sooner than they would've if hung around in the cul de sac for a few more years.

[goodvibesandsunglasses]

she pulled her hand away, adrenaline racing through her. this scenario felt like deja vu for her, same scenario with a different face. sammy knew she had to judge all this on it’s own merits, dayron was not her ex, or her other, or the one before that… but old feelings were hard to push away, especially when she’d known the kind of person he was before they started taking things seriously. it wasn’t even that she thought he was lying ( though there was a part of her that definitely did ), but that picture was seared into her mind and it was making her feel as if her nerves were attached to live wires. she couldn’t do this again. “ uh huh… do you touch all your co-workers like that?? or just the ones you think ’re pretty?? ” she quipped.

His head lolled back in frustration. The old Dayton would’ve fed the argument, would’ve probably told her she was being ridiculous but nothing was further from his mind right now. Given her history, he almost felt like apologizing for making her feel that way; that’s how he knew this girl was the one. However, he hadn’t done anything wrong so why apologize? “What do you mean like that?” He huffed, arms raised in frustration “with my arm around her shoulders? It could happen with pretty much anyone”. There was no doubt that trying to charm his way out of this wouldn’t work and even if it did, it would only make things better until the next argument. “This is ridiculous”. And though he regretted the words as soon as they passed his lips, he kept going. “You know I like it when you get a little possessive but you can’t question my faithfulness whenever there’s another girl nearby”.

@rennisaturate

[theburgessobserver]

Pt.3 The Hidden Truth

Since Ancient times there have been sightings and recordings of strange manifestations in the sky.

It was always speculated on the possibilities of….visitors from another world

Today from the skies of California!

The fields of Kansas!

The Freezing Wastelands of the Poles!

The Rice Patties of the Orient!

The Atlantic Ocean!

The Airlanes of the world!

…come persistent reports of UFOs Unidentified flying objects which we have come to know as…flying saucers,something had to be done!

In Dayton Ohio the Air Intelligence Command gathers in search data from all corners of the globe 95 percent of the objects prove to be of natural origin.While 5 percent remain still listed as unknown.

The Air Force is aware of the widely held belief that some of these could be flying saucers from another planet,while there is nothing conclusive in the evidence.The probing and digesting the probing information about UFOs continues unceasingly!

As a result headquarters of the hemispheric defense command in Colorado Springs issued an order:

Any military installations are to fire on sight at any flying objects unidentifiable.

But even as they did this the military wondered if their know-how and best weapons would be effective in any battle of

THE EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Ahhh that's so scary!”Bob said

“Aw come on Bob it's only a movie”Beastman comforted him

“How about a Roger Corman film?Or better yet a documentary.”The Cockroach man suggested.

“Why not a beach film I love those” Link was saying remembering the good old days of rampage and women.

I didn't really pay much attention to that movie they were putting on,besides I was so big I could hardly tell what was going on. The set was so tiny. Sigh…time sure does pass here at a snail's pace.I met some other inmates like Beastman he was quite nice and cultured but we could only see him only at daytime because at night no matter where he was he would lose control of his instincts and be completely feral and dangerous.

Then there was Jaromir the Vodyanoy(or water spirit) who went as far as to flood a village for not leaving his lake alone ,while he went on the run afterward through lakes heading towards the sea,it ended with a showdown with the WASPs(World Aquanaut Security Patrol)after which he was captured and was used as an example to other water spirits to be wary of the consequences of their actions.

Then he was a japanese Yokai Shapeshifter he was a mysterious robber and stole from many jewelry collections he was called the invisible striker as he would take the form of any guard or official,while it was hard to catch him they eventually did and locked him up here .Its rue form was Kitsume which meant fox.

Then there was the Goblin Queen.She is from what I heard from Doc the queen and warrior champion of her subterranean hidden kingdom.But that was not enough for her,when the treaty was signed she was against all the way through and disregarded it many times.In the end she was taken here to prevent her from causing real trouble,unlike others she had many perks like looser rules,far better quarters etc. mainly due to her background and power and to keep her happy again to prevent trouble from her domain.

“Even among misfits I'm a misfit”I said to myself

Meanwhile Bob changed the channel and was watching static

“Woah did you get that?CCSSSSHHH!Now that is quality tv!”He said mimicking the static

“Bob, it's on static change the channel!”Beastman said in reply

“Yeah, put on something cool and tropical, ''Link suggested. Hopefully he thought of himself as being very cool especially after being in ice for millennia and he loved the warmth and atmosphere of it.It was a convenient truth that the planet had left the Ice age that froze him.

“You mean like ... .Monster Beach?”The dim-witted Blob said

“Oh No not that again”Link said annoyed

I was looking over the oatmeal and reminiscing of the good old days,days which were not long ago,I just lost almost any taste for food, my life was without any flavor. My life is just dull, gray,monotonous and uncomfortable with enough food to keep me going yet not have any taste to give me an appetite.I had been here for two weeks and It was hard for me to be familiarized with this weird life .It felt like a fever dream .As if I had gone insane and was locked up and put on medications…and yet it was so real.

“Well…at least with this gunk I won't have any weight woes”After this gunk isn't very tempting I said

“Yeah at least I won't gain any weight!”I said aloud trying to stay optimistic.

“But you've already gained Tons of weight” Bob said brainlessly and unintentionally insensitively

“THANKS BOB!”I said I was angered by his remark,He most likely didn't mean it of course. but i couldn't help it.Im not the type to be sarcastic but this was just so…well…different.

Suddenly a large helicopter appeared and it was towing a light,the light which guided Grubzilla back to his cell where he would slumber, meaning it was time for him and us to go to sleep.

“Oh well it's time to go to sleep, good night!”Cockroach said

“Sleep well Amazonia!”Link said

“Have a nice night Ginormica!”Bob said

“Her name is actually Titanica!”Beastman said

“No Its Susan”I said

While I chose the name Titanica it was against my will i just found it to be the best of a bad lot. My,I wish they would just shut up and stop calling me that!I am not Titanica,I am Susan!

In the cell I was deep in thought and then I saw the kitten “Hang in there”Poster and said to myself“Okay,Susan Murphy Hang in there and face the facts.You're in Jail unfairly imprisoned and none of my friends know where I am,but they know I'm missing, Derek might know some powerful people,Mom and Dad will also do there best,and everyone present at the wedding saw it happen and will…….. “EUREKA!That's it!”I shouted loudly and happily.

But then I remembered I was under 24 hour surveillance by the personell observing me. So I thought to myself“Some of my friends and family were filming and taking photos at my wedding,and would still be filming and taking photos when I turned to a giantess.That's excellent proof!Like who wouldn't want to take a photo of something as weird as that…The Government can't keep me a secret anymore!They must know I've been kidnapped.The Government can't keep me with that out and about!They just can't!"After that I calmed down from my elation and went to sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a strange dream that night,that I was a celebrity and that bilions watched videos of me growing up to giant size on televisions and at meets and well just frankly everywhere.And that I was a phenomenon known as “Bridezilla!”. I felt odd and embarrassed,then again many are most likely seeing the video while I was still dreaming.Oh well I couldn't be that bad!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning as I woke up I went into the day with new hopes.

Suddenly a beeping sound came.The beeping sound that announced the meals we were to get.The other inmates noticed it as well.

“Oh Boy!It's eat time” Link said happily as he and the gang raced up to the table.

Link dished up his favorite meal,raw fish!He happily dug into it in his primitive manner.

“That is thoroughly repulsive” Doc said

Then he was dished up his food,trash.

“Oh look, a lovely slipper” he said and started to devour it,Bob tried to reach out to take some ,but Doc noticed and promptly pushed him away.

“Sorry but this is my rubbish pile”he said to the blob

He happily indulged in it,When I first saw Doc eat trash I wondered how could someone like eating trash but then I remembered that he said he fused himself with genes of a cockroach and that it not only affected him physically but also mentally,It was like from that book Metamorphosis where that guy got turned into a bug and found how much he loved rotten things.

Then again i must admit Doc has been doing a pretty good job of disregarding his bug instincts and has been acting very kind and civil .In fact I bet he's the nicest person i met since…the day…As for Bob seeing as he's such a simpleton…well such a thing wouldn't really have much taste or completely bizzare taste at that.

“Doc!DOC!DOC!DOOOOOCCCC!!!” Bob screamed in terror

“I forgot to breathe. What will I do?How can I breathe help me Doc!”The brainless blob screamed in terror!

“Bob,you are a Blob and you do not need to breathe”Cockroach deadpanned,this wasn't the first time this week Bob had that type of problem.

“WOW!THANKS DOC YOU'RE A LIFESAVER!”Bob said happily and I saw him shaking the hands with Doc

Some time later I layed down alone,when suddenly I felt a scurrying up my legs. I used my hand to scrape it off. It was Jacques and he went flying all the way to the wall and hit it with a thud his hands were twitching.

"OH!Im so sorry!"I said realizing I accidentally crushed him,how emberassing!

“No no my dear it is my fault entirely I should have asked before i climbed on you at times the bug part of me takes control and I don't notice”Jacques-Yves said

“Anyway I have something to tell you”He said while he scurried over in front of me.

“My examinations of you have proven most intriguing,Susan.I have no Idea what could have caused it.Do the scientist from the examination know anything about it?”He asked me curiously

“The scientists just call it Chemical X”I said “They don't know much about it,in fact they are not even sure if it was an element,it could have been anything really.

“Well ,maybe we should give it a name then”Jacques said

“Titanium?No wait that's already been taken".Cockroach mused

Susanium?He said,I blushed, it was nice but kinda unfitting.

“Cockroachium?”I said,Doc smiled back.

“I don't know,I have been running checks on you,whatever it is it affect you completely right down to your quantum levels”Doc was deep in thought

“Hmmm,Quantonium?It seems fitting.”He said

“Yeah,I think that's just a fine name for it,if it even is an element.”I said Doc's name was okay for now.

“Well for all I know and the scientist too, what happened to you could have been anything like just a magic trick that changed you,but that would be daft!”he said jokingly

“Yeah”Was all I said,he was right and it made me think,maybe it wasn't some kind of element or radiation or all that jazz.Maybe it could be something beyond our comprehension…then again maybe I was just overthinking,I looked back at Jacques.

I liked him. He was so nice to me and so understanding,maybe because he was at one point a normal human being too and he was rather intelligent in addition to being accustomed to all sorts of beasts

“Doc, this place is like Alcatraz for the supernatural” I said to the tiny bug headed white cloth scientist.

His large cockroach eyes looked at me and then thought about something and then he said

“More like Tartarus!”

“What?”I answered,like what's this tartar something?

“Its from Greek mythology Doc swiftly replied It was used to imprison Demons,Titans and certain humans as a prison,you know interesting story the titans who were giants led by Cronus were banished there as punishment It was said to have been a prison built by the gods.Odd how there are such strange parallels between the real and the mythical…then again you're mythical giantess and you real,I guess it's just a coincidence”The seemingly tiny doctor told me

I was amazed by his knowledge and kinda embarased by my ignorance,so then left to the side for awhile

Monger arrived inside and again a helicopter used its light to direct Grubzilla away,I was disgusted by the way he treated him as if he was just an object

“Monger,I need to have a word with you” I said trying to look serious,I was waiting for this all day…at least i thought it was day,Deep down i was nervous however.

“Sure thing”He answered and the flew to me

“What about..visits?When will I see anyone from my family again?”I said

“No visits to any monsters ,sorry but that's just the way it is can't bring just anybody here for any reason we gotta keep this place and you secret”Monger said

“How long will I have to be here?" I demanded “How long will you keep this little game of yours up?Another day?week?Month or a year?”I said desperately as tried to come to terms with his previous sentence

“Forever” Monger said cooly and calmly and landed his jetpack and turned it off and walked towards me

“After all the military is expert at covering up and creating misinformations to fill in the gaps…If it is necessary that is…after all most think the Easter Bunny is a fable.”He explained

“So…I'm just gonna rot here for always and always and always, for doing nothing wrong?”I said “In fact a lot of these other creatures are too!And they arent all that bad”

“Well,I wouldn't say so”!Monger said

“But they're innocent!”I told Monger in a defiant tone!

“Innocent eh?”Monger said

“Actually most if not all are guilty. Each of them went on a rampage,caused destruction,were a danger to society and possibly even killed people intentionally or not!Grubzilla has the highest damage and death count by far and while he didnt mean to destroy part of Tokyo ,he is still a hazard and a big one at that!Link went on a rampage and kidnapped many innocent women and killed a several men who were trying to stop him from getting the girl.”

"And Beastman killed several people too,no wonder he gave himself up as he realized he couldn't control himself at night in the slightest.And wisely saw this as the correct choice"

"And that Blob, while he can only eat inorganic matter he still eat through a few city blocks caused property damage several people were injured and he imperiled many innocent lives!If You are in any doubt we have the M-Files for it and even if not convinced then we even have footage of there rampages!"

“But I didn't go on a rampage!”I protested,I WAS IN THE RIGHT!I didn't Kill anyone,I didn't intentionally become a giantess,or intentionally cause any trouble .Im Innocent .I'm supposed to be free!

“True!But you must understand that you did cause some havoc though unintentionally as well as being well…a giantess,I'm sorry but you were just too dangerous to be around,that and we need to keep myths hidden and Giants aren't exactly easy to hide or cover up.And If you would be free many would panic and possibly even try to kill you. And also we have agreements for cover-ups for a reason you know for your benefit and societies at large”Monger said

“How did you even think you'll cover me up?And all these creatures and their actions as well?”I said trying to get him off his arguments though he did plant a seed of doubt in my head with his proclamations

“Well Link was actually “revealed” to be an actor in a suit who was part of a movie production and the whole thing including the footage was brushed off as a publicity stunt.The Wolf-man was just a gag of several teeagers who had a suit and scared people with it.”

“Bob was just called a lab explosion which caused the damage and some of the gasses escaping from it ,caused people to hallucinate.”

He finished his long speech with “I Could go on but you get the point.”

“But you can't just expect people to unsee me!There were many by me and I wouldn't be surprised if photos or videos were taken of it!You just can't tell them to unsee that!And you can't just do as if I never existed!”I said to try and fight against all of his statements.

“True,but we can give “explanations” and “reveal the truth to the public”.As for those who saw you we just advised them to not talk about it,besides no one would believe them.And those Photos were destroyed and while a video of it was leaked by someone at the wedding and shown on a Mystery channel we quickly disavowed its legitimacy.We said that it was actually done as a parody of monster movie made by some students in Modesto and sent there actually to promote their film efforts”

So…I really was alone asking if my parents or friends would visit would obviously be fruitless so I asked for the last remaining thing

“Can I at the very least call my parents or write to them?”I said holding on to a last string of hope for some,any contact

“That is not an option,there is a risk of an information leak”Monger continued in a stoic voice cutting off the last thread of hope

“EVEN A SERIAL KILLER HAS THE RIGHT TO THAT!”I screamed in rage,I was infuriated,I screamed so loud that some glass from some of the observatories cracked and broke.

Monger gave me a disapproving look which then turned into one which looked more like disappointment.

“I am sorry”He said

And with that he walked away…

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I contemplated the whole situation while some know the videos are taken as fake and anyone in Modesto who saw me would be discouraged and my parents couldn't do anything.I was…On my own.

I sat down and cuddled myself into a ball into one corner.I could feel tears slowly forming in my eyes.

“Cmon Susan”I said to myself “Get up and face it.It aint all bad!”I had to push through it.No more crying now!I thought that maybe what he told me were lies…fat chance!

So here I am in my dimly lit room,not long after the lights went out and the room plunged into darkness.I went down and started to cry again,I curled up into a ball and eventually stopped crying.I tried to make myself happy.

I tried to still dream about the happy days, the days of being NORMAL!Those days have to be back.

Then I thought about the test they conducted on me and those surveys of my body.There still is hope!The scientists were working out to find out what happened to me,and if they did they could cure me and everything could be just Honky Dory again…

“But…if they're trying to figure me out ,there must be more to it”I thought to myself.If they figured out how I work,what would stop them from making their own giants?I thought to myself. So I have two outcomes…and both bad…and even if they cure me, who knows how long…will Derek still be waiting for me?

That night I had a nightmare, giants destroying city blocks crushing innocent people causing war,death,famine and plagues…well ok maybe not plagues but still…..all this…and then I saw myself being pointed at by the victims in what was left of Modesto“You……you did this”One said “No wait I didn't mean to I”I tried to defend myself and those victims...they were my friends and "choke"family! “You…did this to us”Another one said. “This was all your fault,If it were not for you we wouldn't have lost everyone we knew,our homes and suffered greatly under all of this”

“MONSTER!MONSTER!MONSTER!”My former bes friends chanted while pointing at me in the ruins of my hometown."Wait Im sorry!I never wanted this.

Then I saw that they brought to me Derek…he was dead and they said “He Died because of you,”I looked at Derek…his starry eyes still looking outward as if searching for me,never to see me again in this barren wasteland.

“DEREK?DEREK!DEREK!”I cried out,Clutching his body,we would be forever separated husband and wife.Then I cried out “NOOOOO!!!!!”

With a shock I woke up and looked around just to make sure I was still here.

“Oh,It was only a bad dream”I said in relief, resting myself and giving a large sigh of relief,everything calmed down and was quite save for my breathing,I then thought back to the experiments,what happened in the dream could become maybe one day a sad reality.

I really have to get out of here.

----------------------------------------------------------

Firstly the end was done as a nightmare (So if it doesn't make sense or have contrivances i did it intentionally to boil it down to her worst fears and pains coming to get her,after all dreams(and nightmares) have no limitations and can really show us thing we cant see)

The Next Parts will be different:There lenghts may vary due to what part of the story thell tell and I will change the POV character too to give us more insight and characterisation of these characters(I am working on several chapters at once to make better connections between the stories and to plan ahead so sorry for the delays im working on it still)

I made this fake-out opening just because i thought that the monsters should watch something in there spare time(also yes Earth vs the Flying Saucers is a real film I had on dvd and though quoting it would make the opening more interesting…and those 5 percent are most likely the guardians and other such magical beings)

The Reason Wasps found Jaromir was because some babyteeth in the area were sent to look for him and managed to know exactly where he was heading and then telling tooth who told Wasp who were ready and waiting for him.

Description

She is human like in body and size,but with some difference like her scaly-green skin,her pointy ears(not to cartoonish proportions tough still)she also has violet hair and two of her teeth can be retractable between normal and sharp. It is stated in mythology are ruled by the smartest and strongest of them.Like she is motivated by greed.There are several breeds some may be nearly elf like and only live a few decades while others like herself are humanoid and are far more powerful and itelligent.For she can be stabbed right through and only have it as a slight flesh wound.She also has some weaponry like a flying broomstick like thingy.Like all she has the ability to see in darkness.While many say shes crazy its just one of her ploys to incite fear to her enemies.

While in myth they were all seen the same, some types(like hers)are considerably intelligent,despite being almost always portrayed as being ugly and dimwitted.

Fun Fact

The Guardians had to assemble to take her down,while she threatend to attack the world above.

[that-one-gothic-murder-of-crows]

Late night thoughts 😴.

((EXTREMELY Long character analysis ahead. Vary Possible tw)) [I'm sorry in advance] {approximated timestamps imcluded}

OK the title is a lie. I actually think about this once every 2 weeks. [If that]

It's about in time. Specifically Raymond Leon. He's the main antagonist of the movie But no one focuses on how tragic he really is.

Let me explain

1. Timekeeper Raymond Leon. Like everyone he stops aging at 25, And his clock starts leaving him a year to live. Cannon to the film he mentions that hes been doing his job for 50 years. He's pushing 80 years old if we track it properly. 80 years!! Of age... (01:27:15)

2. Most if not every time we see Leon, He's always chewing on a piece of gum. And it said that gum is a way to pass time.

3. During an exchange with Mr. Weis Towards the end of the movie. The man worth eons, sitting behind a desk in front of Leon, asks how many years he wants wants for his services. And ray, with a dead straight face, looks at the man and says.

"there aren't enough years, not even in your lifetime. Mr. Weis." (01:09:10)

4a. And that brings me to Layla. His little Dayton Mistress If you will.

All that Being said... Putting the pieces of his deeper puzzle together, Raymond Leon is much more tragic than he seems on the surface. Because from the outside the viewer is made to detest him as an antagonist of the film. And they follow.

But Leon as a deeper character. if you dig into what he says, and his actions, his little ticks and motions. you can see how done he is with his own existence. But he can't time himself out, That's just asinine for a man of his standing.

4b. She offers him 10 minutes for an hour of his time, The time that he has left and let's dwindle to the last second, habitually. He advises her to

"get out of the game" (00:22:26)

Because she's

"pushing 60."

Ray comes from Dayton, He managed to cross time zones and escape the habits of the lower class. That's how he knows all of wills tricks.

Meaning she's wasting her years on a job that will get her nowhere.

"He's conscious of the security he doesn't have a body guard and he runs" (00:29:18)

Leon has been there and done that. He escaped for a better life. But only ended up in a job that gets him nowhere. Working it for 50 years and finding no fulfillment.

He doesn't concern himself with the Justice that his role demands. He only concerns himself with the time that he usually measures.

"Seconds minutes hours." (00:41:35)

He has lost confidence in what he does because of what hes been through and what he's had to do and sacrifice.

In pursuit of what he does for a living, He will let his time dwindle to the last Seconds if it means getting the job completed, keeping up that front and not letting any one see what he actually thinks.

Chewing gum to pass the time, Remarking that a man worth eons (!) doesn't have the years that Leon would need for his services. Draining his clock to his last hours just to see how far he can push it.

The lowest in the movie we see his clock get is 2 hours. And even with the other time keepers concerns, His only remark is-

"I'm still walking around." (00:50:47)

Dismissing that he's putting himself in danger.

And his dismissal of his needs is what brings him to his ultimate demise. 5 seconds left on his clock he watches it fade, Standing in front of the 2 people he had his heart set on stopping, Confessing that he can't turn back the clock, And to a certain point he wishes that he could. And he keeps the time because that's what he knows, He knows his job, he knows the rules. But it's not what he wants, It was never what he wanted.

"I keep time" (1:37:53)

he says.

Time keepers are only given A day. Every day as a top up of their time. Imagine taking A day every day for 50 years in a job that gets you nowhere and gives you nothing. (00:50:47)

He is practically invisible, A man in a coat. Defined by what he works for and not seen for who he is. Not seen for the story that he could tell. The lives he could save and the lives he could change.

Leon is a story in and of himself, He is a story of an old soul in a young body, he is a story of the day to day monotney, And he's a story of what people would do to stay alive in this world.

Being a timekeeper is the equivalent of being a cop, The Dayton people don't respect him, And No one in new Greenwich seems to acknowledge his existence.

Because of who he is and what he "stands for" no one would give him a chance. 50 years of only being seen as a one sided story. He's grown tired of it all. Stuck in a dead and job with no way to pass his own time. Except simple pleasures, intense euphoria, and a soul breaking livelihood.

He doesn't want to stand for what that coat stands for anymore. He wants his own life but he can't have it, It is stuck in the confines unable to reach higher.

He left the low and climbed the ladder. But got stuck in the pursuit of his own future, Tying himself up in a spot that he thought would make him happy.

He lived by-

"Follow the time" (0:22:26)

But he followed the time so far the bread crumbs turned to pebbles, and he lost his way.

Time is money, Time is life, But time can also be the enemy.

[ad-astra-per-aspera-1389]

I wouldn't be able to find the post about it now, but the Andrew and Eliza comparisons have some merit. But the contrasts have more.

Eliza and Andrew (and Frankie, but we're not there yet) have similar code. Eliza wasn't programmed not to lie, cheat, or steal. Andrew was programmed specifically to be able to do that.

Andrew was built into a home (heh, android puns) where his parental figure didn't really care about him. Dr. Peters looks at him like a machine, and he's only using him for revenge. Hell, he gave Andrew a different last name to avoid being found out.

Based on the way Eliza...is, we can kind of assume Sigourney is a lot more caring with Frankie than she was with Eliza. Frankie is almost like her daughter. Eliza was just a machine to her. (Sigourney gets better at it, but she likely wasn't very sentimental with Eliza.)

So, if they were built and raised so similarly, how did Andrew end up a protagonist, while Eliza doesn't step away from evil, even when given the choice?

Simple: Frankie.

Even before she discovers he's an android, Frankie is kind to him. After, she sympathizes with his situation, and, if I'm remembering right, she even lies for his sake...which messes up her functionality. Frankie puts effort into defending him, and Andrew recognizes this.

So, when Andrew goes against orders to protect her, it's not out of left field. Andrew knew Frankie was an android all along, and he had orders to get rid of her. But Frankie just cares so damn much about him, even after she knows Dr. Peters is behind all of this.

Eliza didn't have a community to turn to. Frankie is that community for Andrew. Even before Simone enters the picture.

Andrew, between seasons one and two, gains two sisters who have his back, but that's not all. His first positive interaction with a human was...Dayton. Dayton's kindness may have been forced at first, but it was there. She, Frankie, and even Cole, at times, were the reason he (and later Simone) only wanted to blend in with people, not hurt them like Eliza aimed to do.

Andrew defected to being good because Frankie loved him. Not even romantically, necessarily. Frankie saw humans in such a positive light that Andrew eventually saw it that way, too. By the time NAH was formed, Andrew looked surprised. He had developed a respect for humankind, but despite being borderline attacked for being who he was, he still believed some humans were good.

Eliza never had that opportunity. She was treated like an object, not a person. She was a machine, and no one looked at her and thought, "Maybe she has feelings, too." Eliza wasn't given a chance to respect or trust anyone before it was broken.

In the end, Andrew and Frankie are foils, but they're also, by android standards, half-siblings. Frankie loved Andrew so much that he believed in humanity. Eliza didn't have someone like Frankie.

[natteryaktoad]

Weiss, Day 85, Part 4

Looks like Selma came straight from work.

Woody eats his birthday cake contemplatively.

Goldie: You alright, babe?

Woody: Yeah. Just gonna get some warmer clothes - there's a bit of a nip in the air today.

He's gone a bit long sighted in his old age.

Goldie: Happy Birthday, babe. I love you.

Woody: Wanna go into the bedroom and show me how much...?

Before I threw the party, I looked in Woody's friends panel to see who he'd want to invite, and his only friends are Goldie, Angel, and Dayton Beech! He's always been shy, of course, and I guess he's got so many hobbies that they keep him busy and he doesn't need so many friends, but I thought he had more than one friend outside his family! I shall have to get some people to befriend him on their rotations.

So Goldie threw the party, inviting people she wanted and teleporting in their SOs. And Dayton was invited, obviously.

[emotionalcadaver]

Part 4: Until Time Stops

Fandom: In Time

Pairing: Raymond Leon x OC

Summary: With Salas continually slipping through their fingers, things continue to get worse for Raymond and Rose.

Word Count: 3,266

Notes: Warnings for depictions of violence and references to prostitution and past sexual assault.

Masterlists: Main • Series • Fic

Previous Part • Next Part

Chapter 4: Countdown

Their cars screeched to a halt in front of the…well, it used to be a bank. Glass was strewn everywhere, a massive truck having been driven straight through the front window. Emptied time capsules littered the street, and a crowd was still gathered around, many with capsules from the bank’s vault still clutched in their hands.

“No one’s watching their clocks, huh?” Raymond asked, stepping from the car and pulling his gun from the holster in his thigh. He surveyed the crowd coldly and authoritatively, almost like a parent scolding their child after they’d caught them doing something bad. “Get outta here. Or I’ll confiscate every second.”

They approached the bank slowly, the four of them looking at the truck rammed through the window. Had it been under other circumstances, Rose would have almost been impressed.

“Must’ve thought it was a drive through,” Jaeger said.

∗ ∗ ∗ 

Leaning against a desk with her arms crossed over her chest, Rose fought to swallow the lump of dread in her throat as she watched the stolen time from the bank robbery rapidly disperse across Dayton. 

You idiot, Salas. You fucking idiot.

Raymond was pacing back and forth as he spoke on the phone. “Yes, sir, I do know that, sir,” he spun on his heel to look up at the map. “There are years that shouldn’t be there,” he resumed pacing. “I will stop him, sir.”

She was probably the only one who knew him well enough to recognize the strain of anxiousness in his voice. Reaching out, she patted him lightly on the shoulder as he hung up the phone and handed it to Jaeger.

“Doesn’t he understand he’s hurting the very people he’s trying to help?” he growled out to no one in particular, stomping away. Rose followed him back to their desks. He collapsed into his chair, rubbing a hand across his face. Sinking into her seat next to him, Rose eyed him worriedly. “They’re going to increase the taxes in the ghetto.”

“That’s to be expected,” she sighed wearily. That was what always happened, after all, when one Zone had more time that they should. The taxes went up enough to compensate. It wasn’t fair.

A lot of people in Dayton were about to either starve to death or time out. Salas wanted to help, that much was clear, but he never would be able to. Not like this. The government would strangle Dayton to death through taxes and hiked prices before they allowed the equality that Salas was hoping to achieve.

“I got that map drawn up that you asked for,” she said, hoping that would somehow raise Raymond’s spirits, if only a tiny bit. She pulled it up on her computer, zooming out so that they could see the entirety of Dayton, little marks pinpointed to each of the banks that Salas and Sylvia had hit recently.

“Where was the latest robbery?” he asked.

“Um, here,” she pointed.

“Hm,” he rested his chin on his fist, eyes narrowed at the screen.

“What?”

When he looked at her, she felt her stomach drop. There was a haunted look in his eyes that only ever crossed his face when he was recalling a very specific type of traumatic memory.

“I think that I know where they are.”

∗ ∗ ∗ 

“Sir? They’re still there,” Kors spoke with a level of wonderment in his voice.

“How did you know, sir?” Jaeger asked. Rose glanced at Raymond’s face, fighting back the desire to tell them both to fuck off and leave them alone.

“This is where the hours in the days are,” Raymond spoke in a dead, detached voice that almost frightened her. She wondered if he was actually really there with them, or if he was lost in his own mind; reliving one of the horrid traumas he’d been forced to experience. “He’s paid them all off,” he checked his gun, weighing it in his hand. “And this is where I would hide.”

“Go get ready,” she ordered their companions, waiting until they’d retreated out of earshot before she took Raymond by the shoulders. “Look at me.”

“I’m fine, Ro.”

“No, you’re not,” she glanced warily at the dingy hotel across the street. He’d told her pretty much everything that there was to know about his past over the years. She could not even imagine the level of turmoil he must have been in, to be forced back here. He heaved out a sigh, resting his forehead against hers. “We’ll do this fast, in and out. I’ll be with you the whole time,” she knew better than to suggest that he just wait out there while she, Kors, and Jaeger went in to get Salas.

“I know,” he cleared his throat.

“I’ve got you.”

He nodded, once. She wanted to kiss him, but the last thing she wanted to do was trigger anymore terrible memories associated with this place. Instead, she just squeezed his shoulders firmly once.

“Let’s go.”

They split into groups, each of them searching the different levels. She and Raymond went one way while Kors and Jaeger went another. 

“Hey! Stop!”

Their heads snapped around at the shout from the other hallway, racing towards it. There was a boom of what sounded like a door being broken open, a shriek, and the crash of breaking glass. 

By the time they made it into the hotel room, it was to find Jaeger and Kors gathered at the broken window, staring after Salas and Sylvia. The pair had raced across the street, glancing back at them just before they rounded the corner, hesitating.

Without hesitation, Raymond hoisted himself up and through the window, jumping down to land on the car below. Rose sighed, and hurled herself after him, grunting as her feet hit the metal of the car’s roof.

The things that I do for you, Raymond…

She took off after him, only a few paces behind. They followed Salas and Sylvia down roads, twisting and turning, then into a narrow alleyway. Salas was fast, but he was clearly slowed down by Sylvia, who probably couldn’t run nearly as fast anyway, and certainly couldn’t keep up with those ridiculous heels on.

They climbed a ladder, and Raymond stopped for a brief moment, raising his gun.

“Stop! Stop!” he shouted, firing three shots at them as they scrambled across the ledge above. Climbing the ladder, they continued the pursuit across the rooftops. Raymond fired off another shot, and Rose tugged her gun from her holster, firing a little blindly as she continued to run. This time, Salas returned fire, and they both ducked, weaving to avoid his shots. It slowed them enough for Salas and Sylvia to make it to the edge of the roof.

They exchanged fire again, but this time, when Salas fired back, they had to duck for cover, Raymond’s hand flying out in an attempt to push her behind him.

“You okay?”

She nodded. “You?”

He nodded, turning to fire at Salas again, then ducking back behind their cover at another shower of gunfire. 

When they both popped out again with their guns raised, Salas and Sylvia had vanished from the roof. Rushing to the edge, they stared down at the drainpipe that the pair had clearly climbed down.

“Really?” she groaned. Holstering his gun, Raymond slid down it easily, waiting for her at the bottom. She climbed down about half way. “Oh, fuck it,” jumping, she huffed as he caught her with ease, her feet barely having been set down onto the ground before they were off again, racing down the road after Salas and Sylvia. She internally screamed when she caught sight of the bus that they were headed towards. 

No, no, no, don’t you even think about it–

Salas and Sylvia jumped onto the bus, and a moment or two later, the doors swung closed and it pulled away from the bus stop, driving down the road.

They skidded to a stop, watching it disappear silently.

“Fuck,” Rose groaned, stuffing her gun back into its holster, chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Raymond huffed, turning away from the bus and running a hand through his hair.

“You okay? Sure you didn’t get hit?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” she sighed dejectedly. “I thought we had him.”

“Me too. Come here,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her rest against him as her breathing evened out. “We should get back.”

Glancing up and around, she frowned. “I’m not climbing that drain pipe again.”

He snorted, taking her hand. “Come on.”

“We haven’t had to run like that in a long time.”

“It was kind of fun.”

“You’re bent.”

He laughed. “At least we now know that he likes hotels.”

Rose cocked her head. “You really think he would be stupid enough to still go to one after this?”

Raymond shrugged. “You never know.”

∗ ∗ ∗ 

Raymond tilted his head as he stared down at the bodies strewn out in front of them on the sidewalk. Four Minutemen, including their leader. Three of them shot, one of them timed out. 

“All the time he’s taken…” Raymond mumbled.

“Don’t you mean the time that he’s given away, sir?” 

Rose felt herself start at the defiance in Jaeger’s voice, pulling her eyes from the bodies to stare at him over her shoulder. Jaeger didn’t look at her, instead staring at Raymond’s back.

“Even to you,” he muttered. Raymond turned on his heel, striding forward until he was right in Jaeger’s face.

“I have given fifty years of my life to this job. I am not about to see those years go to waste,” he jerked his head. “Go on.” 

Jaeger shot him a look of deep seated contempt, turning away with Kors right behind him. Raymond went back to staring down at the bodies strewn out on the sidewalk. A crowd had gathered around them, staring. Sweeping his cold eyes over each individual, Raymond approached some of them. 

“I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but by tomorrow, you won’t have time to stand around.”

Giving one last look to the bodies of the Minutemen, Rose sighed. Price hikes were set to go into effect tomorrow. The cost of living raised to compensate for the sudden wealth that had recently been flooding Dayton. Boots thudding dully against the asphalt, she shoved her hands in her pockets as she headed towards the car.

“Jaeger,” she called to him before he could get into the driver’s seat of the car parked beside her and Raymond’s. He huffed, looking at her in annoyance. “What the hell was that about?”

Jaeger shrugged. “Salas is helping these people.”

“No. He’s just causing them to raise the price of living until the city either returns to being in poverty, or dies out.”

“At least he’s trying something. The way that things are run now…it’s not fair.”

Jesus. “Few things are Jaeger,” she tried to add a touch of sympathy to her voice. “But fairness isn’t our concern. You’ll drive yourself insane before you manage to fix this system,” an image, almost long forgotten, of her older brother’s face, flashed behind her eyes. She mentally recoiled from the memory as if it had burned her. “Trust me. I’ve seen it.”

“Nah. You just follow him. Blindly. Without ever even thinking for yourself.”

She had half a mind to bark at him for that. Or report him for insubordination. “Oh, believe me, Jaeger, my eyes are very much open. Go back to the base. Now,” she didn’t wait around for him to say anything else to her, opening the door to her car and sliding into the leather seat. Raymond joined her a minute later.

“At least we don’t need to worry about the Minutemen any longer,” she said, after they’d been driving for a while. Raymond grunted in response. “They got what they deserved,” she glanced over at him, but still he said nothing. “Don’t listen to Jaeger. He’s a child, he’s still got traces of that…idealistic, bright-eyed view of the world. It’ll get stamped out of him eventually.”

“The last thing we need right now is dissent in our own ranks.” 

“I know. We’ll just keep an eye on him from now on,” glancing back at him in time to watch him rub at his eyes, she raised her brow. “What’s going on, Ray?”

“You know…I do wish that what Salas was doing actually would help those people.”

“I know, babe.”

“I’m not some…some heartless monster who just wants people to suffer or, or starve, or time out…”

“Raymond,” she said firmly to pull him out of his spiral. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain or justify yourself to me.”

He took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. “The others don’t understand.”

“Most of them weren’t even alive when we crushed the first rebellion. They didn’t see what happened, what the rebels…became over time,” her eyes squeezed shut. Just for a moment. “They don’t realize how bad things can get with this shit.”

“Yeah.”

“What Salas and Sylvia are doing…it isn’t sustainable. They can’t just continue to go around, robbing banks and playing Robin Hood forever.” 

“No. They can’t,” his eyes glazed over as he stared at the road.

Frowning, she cupped the side of his head, kissing his cheek and nuzzling him with her nose. “You’re not a monster.”

He let out a quiet scoff. “Thanks, babe.”

She didn’t really think that he believed her.

∗ ∗ ∗ 

The sound of the alarm beginning to blare sent his heart plummeting into his stomach. Rushing down the stairs into the main room of the base, he broke into a light jog, barely aware of Rose behind him.

“What was that?” he raised his voice. “What was that? Hey, what just happened?” the numbers on the boards displayed on the wall were changing too fast to be able to count.

“It must be a mistake. A million years just went off the clock in New Greenwich.”

“It’s not a mistake,” he said.

“It’s gotta be a mistake, sir,” Kors tried to reason.

“It’s not a mistake. Rose!?” he spun around, searching for her. He’d promised he wouldn’t go running off into danger without her again…

“I’m here. Let’s go,” she said, after he almost crashed into her when he turned. She’d been standing right behind him the entire time. “Kors, I want you all setting up roadblocks at all the exits of New Greenwich,” she ordered. Seizing her hand, Raymond broke into a run, hurtling out the exit doors and to their car. None of the other Timekeepers were with him. It was just her now. 

Jumping into the car, he brought the engine to life, roaring out of the parking lot. Rose clicked her seatbelt into place, fingers twisting anxiously with her braid.

They cruised around New Greenwich for hours, watching the sunrise steadily, higher and higher into the sky.

“Dispatch, wire me my per diem,” Rose said, sliding her hand into the silver ring.

“Time transfer,” an automated voice said. She watched the numbers count up, then removed her arm. 

“You should collect yours too.” 

“I will, in a second,” he promised. “Dispatch, what can you see?”

“There’s a lot of traffic in the vicinity,” a voice on the other end responded. 

“Alright, look for the slowest car,” he ordered. Then, more to himself, “you have a million years, you are definitely not in a hurry,” his eyes scanned over the roads. Again and again. Nothing. Pulling back the sleeve of his coat, he eyed the ticking numbers on his arm. “And wire me my per diem,” he said, again to dispatch. But before he could slide his arm into the silver mechanism, his eyes caught on something. “Wait! Never mind. I have them,” he spun the car into a U-turn, siren whooping to life as he floored the gas. “Give the order: shoot on sight,” it was time for the gloves to come off. No more games. 

“In New Greenwich? That’s against policy, sir.”

“So is having a million years leave the Zone,” he felt his jaw tense harshly, focused on nothing else than Salas’s car, barely even hearing as Rose called it into base on the radio. “Set that to the open channel, will you?”

“Sure,” there was a sudden shriek of static as she clicked a few buttons. They were approaching a roadblock on the way headed into Dayton. 

“That time cannot leave the Zone, shoot on sight!”

The Timekeepers open fired, but it did little more than create dents in the car’s paint. It blew right past them, smashing through the time check booth, and kept on going. Twisting the wheel expertly, he whipped past the other Timekeeper cars, following Salas into Dayton. They whizzed around a bend, and then at the last moment he made a right where Salas went straight.

“What are you doing?” Rose asked.

“Short cut,” his eyes narrowed at the road ahead, foot pressing more firmly to the accelerator. “Hold on,” the second that Salas’s car began to appear at the crossing, he floored it, sending the car hurtling forward, slamming into the side of Salas’s car with a scream of metal and a flash of sparks. Smoke billowed up from the two cars. Beside him, Rose was coughing and groaning.

“Are you okay?” he asked, hand falling to the back of her neck as she doubled over. She nodded weakly. Probably lying. From the way she was holding onto her side, he wondered if she’d cracked a rib or gotten the wind knocked out of her. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“Ray, wait–!”

Shoving open the car door with his gun out, he tried not to stagger, holding it level to Salas and Sylvia. They both held up their hands in surrender. The street was busy, full of people beginning to make their way to the Timeline at the end of the street.

“You lost a lot of time, Mr. Leon,” Salas smiled at him smugly.

“Looks like you’re about out yourself,” Raymond growled.

“Time!” someone behind him hollered. Something was happening at the Timeline, but he couldn’t see with the crowd of people around them. And suddenly they were surging forward in a rush of bodies. 

“Move!” he tried to shove them out of the way, and in the moment that the people were between Salas, Sylvia, and him, the two criminals took off running. He tore after them, shoving people out of the way, trying to find a clean shot to take out at least one of them. But he couldn’t risk it. If he did, he might hit an bystander. 

I’m not a monster. 

“Move!” he shouted. All around him, there were people racing towards the Timeline at a furious pace. He was half worried that they were about to have a stampede on their hands. They had blocked his line of sight of Salas and Sylvia. He could only hope that he was still heading in the same direction as them. Towards the edge of the city. 

There was a Timekeeper car parked at the end of a block, the door open as the man inside looked about questioningly. “Get out!” Raymond roared, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and all but hauling him from the car, tossing him to the ground. “Get out!” he leapt into the driver’s seat, barely even managing to close the door before he was starting the engine and barreling down the road. 

Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

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[usafphantom2]

down three more Russian jets, totaling six in three days

In the space of three days, Ukrainian forces slaughtered six Russian fighter jets, a dozen kamikaze drones and a cruise missile.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/19/2024 - 22:07in Military, War Zones

The Armed Forces of Ukraine claim to have shot down a Su-34 on Sunday morning (02/18), when a video of the alleged aircraft crashing in the Luhansk region circulated on social networks. Two other Russian jets, a Su-35 and a Su-34 were shot down on Monday morning.

Ukrainian defenders "shot down" the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on Sunday morning, according to Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cited by the RBC Ukraine media.

?? A ?? Russian Su-34 bomber was shot down yesterday near the village of Dyakove, Luhansk region. pic.twitter.com/gCaiEntomF

— ?? Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) February 18, 2024

"The Moscow people 'have no losses' again. Around 6 a.m. this morning, another Su-34 'successfully returned' to the base,” Oleshchuk wrote, mocking the Russian responses to the Ukrainians' allegations of slaughter. Russia reported only having asked for a Su-34. Open source intelligence analysts conclude that the Su-34 aircraft was the "Red 20" aircraft, RF-95004, a modern Russian attack aircraft, presumably from the 47º Bomber Aviation Regiment.

On Sunday, Ukrainian air defense also destroyed 12 Shahed attack drones and a Kh-59 cruise missile.

Artem Lysohor, governor of the Luhansk region, published a sarcastic account of the incident on his Telegram channel.

"Yesterday, the pilot of a Russian fighter launched several guided air bombs on the positions of Ukrainian defenders," he wrote. "And when they fried it, he thought only of himself, directing the damaged plane not to the fields and forests, but to the settlements of the Antratsyt community in the occupied region of Luhansk."

Lysohor added: “Residents of the village of Dyakove saw this Russian fighter killing civilians. They say he fell on the street where Lyubov Mykolaivna lives. The number of victims is currently unknown."

On the morning of Monday (02/19), the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed two more Russian aircraft, a Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bomber and a Su-35 fighter.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said on social networks: "The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed two Russian aircraft that dropped guided bombs on the positions of our troops this morning. [The warplanes in question were] a Su-34 fighter bomber and a Su-35S jet fighter."

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, posted on his Facebook page: "Two more Russian warplanes shot down! It's our land and our heaven! Thank you all for your combat work! Keep going!”

The Ukrainian Air Force clarified that all slaughters took place on the eastern front.

On Saturday, February 17, Ukrainian forces would have shot down three Russian combat planes - two Su-34 and one Su-35 - over Donetsk Oblast.

The Oryx blog, which counts the losses of Russian military equipment in Ukraine based on photographs sent from the front lines, reported that the Russian Armed Forces have lost at least 11 Su-34 attack planes since Russia began the invasion of Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claims to have shot down 335 Russian military aircraft since February 24, 2022.

Tags: Military AviationSu-35 FlankerSukhoi Su-34 FullbackWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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